Orson Welles wasn’t just a revolutionary and iconic film director. He also had a long-running interest in magic and deception, even filming a television special on the topic. A new stage show pays tribute to his magical aspirations.
Orson the Magnificent: The Magic of Orson Welles is a one-man show written, directed, and performed by Lars Klores in Fairfax, Virginia. The production combines both theater and magic, such as card tricks and mind reading. Klores takes the stage performing as Welles, and his banter in between tricks is all about the history of famous magicians and his own character.
“Orson Welles was not the most skilled magician, but it is fair to call him one of the greatest magicians,” Klores said in a Q&A session following a recent performance. He clarified that Welles’ magic is in his ability to read and react to an audience, whether in a magic show or a radio play or a feature film.
Orson the Magnificent: The Magic of Orson Welles will be staged at the the Old Town Hall in Fairfax through May 6. Tickets are available here. You can also follow the play on Facebook to get more information about where the show will go next; it has played around the DC Metro area for the past several months.