It’s difficult to think of “Citizen Kane’s” creator Orson Welles, a giant of 20th century culture, as being a Midwesterner, although the cinema genius was born in Kenosha and educated in Woodstock.
In celebration of its adopted famous son, the Woodstock Opera House presents a program about Welles on Saturday, May 17. Six Welles authorities who will provide new insights on Welles’s life and legacy as they discuss his life and work during the 1920s and ‘30s in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ireland, and New York.
Panel discussions are by Welles scholars from throughout the US. Saturday’s first panel discussion begins at 9:30 a.m., with Jonathan Rosenbaum, Joseph McBride and Mike Dawson, moderated by author Robert K. Elder. A second panel at 2 p.m. is with Jeff Wilson and Josh Karp.
A special 8 p.m. live theatre show rendition of his famous 1938 radio broadcast, “War of the Worlds,” will be performed by RG (Radiogirl) Productions on the recently dedicated Orson Welles stage.
Born Kenosha in 1915, Welles was educated at the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock from 1926-1931, where his creative genius was nurtured by his teacher and lifelong mentor, Roger Hill.
A 19-year old Welles made his American directorial debut with the play “Trilby” in collaboration with Hill.
Hill’s grandson, Todd Tarbox, will also be in Woodstock that weekend, speaking at the Stage Left Café on Friday, May 16.
Stage Left event will include music from the 1920s and 1930s performed by Petra Van Nuis and Andy Brown.
See the video here.
The event is being hosted by Woodstock Celebrates, Inc., a non-profit organization established to celebrate Woodstock’s history and heritage.
Tickets for Saturday’s individual sessions are $15; all day passes, $40, at the Opera House box office.
