The Blessed and the Damned is the title of a program of two one-act plays staged by Orson Welles in 1950, which he also wrote and starred in. Le Monde called the show a masterpiece of scenic art. The performance included filmed elements.
Eartha Kitt and Hilton Edwards were also featured players, as were Suzanne Cloutier, Jennifer Howard, and Pittsburgh-born Jamie Schmitt, prior to adopting his better-known stage name, Jamie Smith.
A photo of Welles and others discussing work on the show exists.
The two plays were Time Runs and The Unthinking Lobster. Indiana University's Lilly Library has a playbill for the shows. The University of Michigan's archives acquired a script for The Unthinking Lobster.
Cast Unless otherwise indicated, credits derived from This Is Orson Welles.Welles, Orson; Bogdonavich, Peter; Rosenbaum, Jonathan, ed. (1992). This Is Orson Welles. New York : HarperCollins. pp. 405, 406. .
The Unthinking Lobster Miss Pratt – Suzanne Cloutier as Miss Pratt Roland Zitz – Jamie Smith (as Jamie Schmitt) Jake Behoovian – Orson Welles Leander Place – George Lloyd Archduke – Frederick O'Brady Archbishop – Hilton Edwards
Time Runs Dr. John Faustus – Orson Welles Mephistopheles – Hilton Edwards Helen/Chorus – Eartha Kitt First man – Lee Zimmer Woman – Jennifer Howard
See also The Miracle of St. Anne, a short film that was part of the performance
References