Janis Stevens plays the gifted and troubled actress widely known for playing Scarlett O'Hara in the film "Gone With the Wind," and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.
The solo play is billed as "a charming, humorous and heartfelt look at the life and times of Vivien Leigh, one of Hollywood's most glamorous and enigmatic figures." Opening is Jan. 17.
According to Walnut Street, "Vivien tells the story of legendary and award-winning actress Vivien Leigh. It is 1967, and Ms. Leigh wanders onto a darkened London stage. She has been cast in the West-End premiere of Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance, and is present for her first read through. Finding the theatre empty, Ms. Leigh takes the audience along on a journey through her triumphs and struggles; her marriage to Laurence Olivier, her love/hate relationship with Hollywood and her determination to achieve greatness on the legitimate stage. Janis Stevens not only re-creates several of Ms. Leigh's great film roles (Blanche DuBois, Scarlett O'Hara, Mrs. Treadwell) but many of the stage roles she played throughout her 30 year career as one of the most renowned actresses of our time."
Vivien premiered at Sierra Repertory as part of its 1997 season, and it has been produced on the West Coast numerous times since. Vivien played New York City in 2004, and has been seen in regional theatres around the country.
Foster is an award-winning playwright whose plays, translations and adaptations have been produced across the nation. His one-woman play Love, Isadora received four productions in San Francisco. The Heroes of Xochiquipa received five nominations from the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle and an award for Outstanding Original Script. His translation/adaptation of Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening has been produced professionally and at many colleges and universities from New York to Los Angeles. Stevens' early career was spent in the English-speaking theatres of Vienna. She's been seen in regional theatres and received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance Vivien in 2005. Her portrayal of Vivien Leigh won the Dean Goodman Choice Award, The Upstage/Downstage Award and the Garland Award.
Peter Sander directs. The creative team includes set designer Meghan Jones, lighting designer Shon Causer and costume designer Gail Russell.
For more information, call (215) 574-3550 or (215) 336-1234 or visit www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org.
