Under the direction of Damaso Rodriguez, Welles, Olivier, and Leigh are larger than life--fitting for the venue. Lowell's Tynan is a man with a vision that becomes a nightmare. The snappy pacing and witty exchanges, without a razor-sharp edge of hate or bitterness, prevent this production from being a poignant plunge into darkness. The real cypher is West's Plowright. The audience can't be sure why she loves Olivier, a man still very attached to his second wife.

Orson's Shadow debuted at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in early 2000, and was staged at the San Diego Old Globe Theatre later that same year. In 2005, there was an off-Broadway production at the Barrow Street Theatre. In 2001, I saw this play produced at the much smaller Black Dahlia Theatre. From what I recall, compared to this Pasadena Playhouse production with its wonderfully solid backstage views by set designer Gary Wissmann, that production was much darker in both tone and general staging. The intimacy of a small venue allows for more subtle character nuances, and the set design was more minimalistic. Rodriguez's ensemble, on the other hand, plays it mostly in the light, although, almost predictably, our first view of Welles is of his shadow. This less tragic interpretation is a bright and intelligent piece of entertainment.

In restrospect, perhaps there was a reason for Olivier to doubt himself. Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche DuBois live on in popular culture. Welles' shadow looms larger still. Even if you haven't seen Citizen Kane or his Chimes at Midnight or Touch of Evil, he voiced the original trailers for 1977's Star Wars and 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The character of the intelligent lab mouse, The Brain, in Pinky and the Brain is loosely based on him. He was, until his death, the voice of Robin Masters on the Magnum: P.I. television series. A genus of spiders was named after him.

This production will entertain those who know about Welles, Leigh, and Olivier, and even, to a lesser degree, Tynan and Plowright. For those who don't, it will still be an enjoyable romp backstage, with egos clashing and a marriage imploding, and perhaps piqueing one's interest in the long legacy of all the characters involved. Orson's Shadow continues until February 17 at the Pasadena Playhouse.