←Recommendations of THE LAST RITES OF ORSON WELLES

I've been a fan of Orson Welles for decades, and I absolutely enjoyed this poignant look at what might be the cinematic genius's epitaph -- hawking cheap wine on television in his last days. There's moving self-awareness here, laced through sardonic wit, as our (anti)hero sadly confesses without actually confessing that he knows he's the author of much of his own downfall. Fame and success can take more than they give, and they took a lot from Welles. I felt it all the way through this short but powerful piece that would be so simple to produce.

Orson Welles's final moments come alive in this witty, poignant play. Welles, a shell of his former self, struggles through a champagne commercial, reflecting on his life, career, and the passage of time. With each sip and retake, he transforms into Falstaff, Shakespeare's embodiment of a bygone era. Touching and humorous, "The Last Rites of Orson Welles" is a fitting tribute to a legend confronting his own mortality.

Paul Smith treats us to another short play with a film legend. Unlike with with James Mason’s nostalgic recollections in “The Deaths of James Mason,” we see an Orson Welles at a time when he was more of a punchline than a legend, reduced to making wine commercials. Still, the story is told with sensitivity and provides a glimpse of the artist from earlier times. A choice role for an accomplished actor.

A compelling mix of humor and pathos, this uses Orson Welles' celebrated Paul Masson period as the springboard to the broken-down actor reflecting on happier days. In the larger sense, it's a poignant story about the impermanence of fame and how hard it can be to put aside past glories and accept the present for what it is.

I love Orson Welles, and I especially love those Paul Masson wine bloopers that have circled the internet. This play satirizes the wine bloopers, but also dives in further to the man himself. My first thought was that the real bloopers were funny enough without needing a parody, but this play includes deeper analysis of Welles' career and life, in the context of those bloopers that reads really well. This piece is funny and sad, often within the same moment. Great job!