Dick Feldman was president of The Orlando Theatrical Company, Inc., a company formed to bring the play Orlando Furioso to New York in 1970. The play was staged by Luca Ronconi and performed by the Teatro Libero di Roma. It was shown in several European cities before coming to the United States. The play was adapted from Lodovico Ariosto's 16th century epic poem of the same name by Edoardo Sangunietti.
The play was originally to be held on Pier 86 in Chelsea, as a part of Mayor Lindsay's plan to repurpose portions of the waterfront for cultural activity. This proposal was met with picketing from the International Longshoremen's Association, which preferred to see renewal of shipping on the piers. Ultimately, the play was moved to Bryant Park, where it would be performed under a specially constructed "bubble."
Orlando Furioso opened on November 4, 1970. The play was noted for its frenetic action that removed physical boundaries between stage and spectator, with actors even being suspended above the audience at times. Critical and public reaction was strongly divided, with some viewers feeling the play was spectacle without substance and others seeing it as fast-paced fun.
From the guide to the Dick Feldman collection of Orlando Furioso production files, 1969-1970, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)
