Death of Walt Disney

Overview

From what started as a rough sketch of a cartoon mouse, Walt Disney has become a globally iterated name. Although the Disney brand reminds us of youth, not even the maturest of adults can keep a dry eye when Mufasa falls to his death. Known as the founder of Disneyland and the king of animation, Walt Disney still holds the record for the most awards and nominations in film history, with a total of four honorary Academy Awards, and 22 Academy Awards from 59 nominations. The world knows these basic facts about the entertainment industry magnate, but Lucas Hnath’s “A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about the Death of Walt Disney” imagines a deeper, darker, and more troublesome side to the man whose characters pervaded our childhood years.

The performance takes the form of a screenplay being read about Walt’s dying days. But his last words are not the inspiration, imaginative genius that you would expect from the film phenomenon. Instead, the guy is kind of a tool. He yarns about how has changed the world and will continue to do so. He boasts about how much everyone loves him and will cease to live without him. And he is a massive jerk to his brother. Hnath effectively reconstructs the common conception of Walt Disney as a legend, and instead writes him as a man obsessed with his career, his dream and himself. Right from the beginning Disney alienates audiences, with the opening lines “I’m Walt Disney. This is a screenplay I wrote. It’s about me!”

Audiences can look forward to learning more about the Disney as a man, as opposed to his brand. They will be educated on his family and closest friend. They will learn about the struggles and accomplishments that occurred on the roller coaster journey to the Disney phenomenon. And they will love to hate this previously unseen d-bag version of Disney.