A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney (2024)
Produced by
Outside the March Theatre Company and Soulpepper Theatre Company
Playwright: Lucas Hnath
Director: Mitchell Cushman
Venue
The Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre
Run
April 13th, 2024 – May 12th, 2024
Synopsis
See Walt. See Walt run. See Walt run a multinational media conglomerate, remaking the world in his image. See Walt contemplate that image. See Walt contemplate cryogenics. See Disney on ice. See Walt’s family. Hear Walt’s screenplay. See Walt’s family hear Walt’s screenplay. See Walt melt.
Despite its title, this is neither a reading nor a screenplay; or rather, it’s both, in a brilliant 70-minute stage play. Hnath’s script is an intricately orchestrated merry-go-round of percussive language like a “hypercaffeinated David Mamet” (The New York Times).
“Death of Walt Disney” toys with far-fetched concepts like: what if a powerful billionaire pursued his own immortality at the expense of the world around him? What if Elon Musk could doodle? And what if a melting world is no place to keep a frozen head from thawing? (soulpepper.ca)
Cast
| Diego Matamoros | Walt Disney |
| Anand Rajaram | Roy Disney |
| Tony Ofori | Ron |
| Katherine Cullen | Daughter |
Creative Team
| Lucas Hnath | Playwright |
| Mitchell Cushman | Director |
| Anahita Dehbonehie | Set Designer |
| Niloufar Ziaee | Costume Designer |
| Nick Blais | Lighting Designer |
| Heidi Chan | Sound Designer |
| Lucy Coren | Assistant Director |
Production
| Tori Morrison | Production Manager |
| Jeff Soucy | Stage Manager |
| James McCoy | Technical Director |
| Adriano Sobretodo Jr. | Producer |
| Laura McCallum | Associate Producer |
| Christopher Blanchenot | Scenic Artist |
| Paul Boddum | Head Scenic Artist |
| Andy DeVries | Head Carpenter |
| Ellie Koffman | Head of Wardrobe |
| Lisa Nighswander | Head of Properties |
| Kalina Popova | Assistant Head of Wardrobe |
| Bill Stahl | 1st Carpenter |
| Alex Edwards | Production Assistant |
| Ethan Robinson | Lighting Operator |
| Andres Castillo-Smith | Audio Operator |
| Everett Dalingwater | Audio Operator |
| Chelsea Santiago | Deck Hand |
Staff
| Jonathan Heppner | Executive Producer |
| Annie Clarke | Producer |
| Robyn Hoja | Producer |
| Julia Carrano | Associate Producer |
| Jasmine Knox | Senior Production Manaer |
| Leslie Hernandez | Technical Director |
| Nick Beardsley | Assistant Technical Director |
| Rhett Costin | Assistant Technical Director |
