Vince Petronio Channels Walt Disney

When I think of Walt Disney, I don’t think about the man, I think about the corporation that has lived on long after Disney’s death in 1966. For me, Disney was the “Wonderful World of Disney” that aired every Sunday night during the ’70s after Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom.” I grew up in the Disney era of Return from Witch Mountain, The Cat from Outerspace, The Shaggy DA, and The Rescuers. I owned the soundtrack to Pete’s Dragon, one of my favorites.

These are the memories that were spurned by Vince Petronio’s stellar portrayal of the man, Walt Disney, in The Wilbury Theatre Group’s A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about the Death of Walt Disney. Seeing Vince portray this megalomaniacal chain-smoking creative genius is a must.

However, this script is not without its flaws. Lucas Hnath, the playwright, has attempted to stage a reading of a screenplay performed by actors playing their characters in the screenplay, which is very confusing. The word “cut” must have been uttered over 100 times, used as a device to change scenes or moments, but it makes for difficult dialogue between actors.

A scene, for example, of Walt on the phone with his wife, in what should be a moment of tenderness and remembrance includes a “cut” every few words. Roy and Walt’s many scenes involve so many “cuts” that it is hard to follow the story.

These odd scenes aside, the solid acting of Tom Chace, as Roy Disney, Walt’s brother and the bumbling former football playing Josh Andrews as Ron Miller, Walt’s son-in-law, were spot on. The exploration of Roy and Walt’s relationship, while fictional in many aspects, is the most interesting relationship of the show. Roy puts up with so much abuse from Walt, but it’s clear he has the real handle on the corporation.

The stage is set up in the round, with a large table, which mimics Disney’s office, and a lot of the action happens in that space. The backdrop is a creative storyboard filled with pieces of Walt’s mind and creativity. The script leaves little room for interesting blocking, although it appears that director Brien Lang did the best he could.

Vince Petronio has acted all around this state for years performing at 2^nd Story, The Gamm, Burbage, and the University of Rhode Island, where he is a professor. But The Wilbury Group has clearly recognized the talent he possesses and given him the part of a lifetime. See this play to see the performance and try to let go of a flawed attempt at a play masquerading as a screenplay.