Tennessee Williams St. Louis Returns to Year-Round Programming with 9th Annual Festival Aug. 8-18

Tennessee Williams St. Louis Returns to Year-Round Programming with 9th Annual Festival Aug. 8-18

“I’m determined to do it–and nothing’s more determined than a cat on a tin roof–is there? Time goes by so fast. Nothin’ can outrun it.” – Maggie, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams

“The last eight seasons HAVE gone by so fast – it is hard to believe how much we have grown,” explains Carrie Houk, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis’ Executive Artistic Director. “This year we happily return to our home – Grand Center.  In addition to bringing you the play you have all been waiting for, we celebrate Grand Center Theatre District with a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down the pants!  As Mrs. O’Fallon exclaims in The Magic Tower – “You show people!  Always putting on an act!” That’s what we do and we cannot wait to share our wares with you.”

This year’s TWStL will give center stage to Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof directed by award-winning Michael Wilson at The Grandel Theatre in Grand Center August 8-18.

“I am thrilled to return to St Louis – the city which had such a profound impact on the life and work of Tennessee Williams – for its 9th Annual eponymous Festival to direct its centerpiece production, an all-new revival of his Pulitzer Prize winning and arguably most popular play, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. “ – Wilson, Director

Michael Wilson is an American stage and screen director working extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at the nation’s leading resident theaters. He made his screen directorial debut with the 2014 Lifetime/Ostar television film adaptation of Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful, which was nominated for two 2014 Emmy Awards and six 2015 NAACP/Image Awards. On Broadway, Wilson directed the 2013 Tony Award-winning revival of The Trip to Bountiful starring Cicely Tyson.

Other Broadway productions include the 2012 Tony nominated revival of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (starring James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergen); the Tony nominated Best Plays Dividing the Estate; and Enchanted April. Internationally, he directed both parts of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for the 1995 Venice Biennale. He directed the acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of the musical Grey Gardens: starring Betty Buckley and Rachel York for CTG/Ahmanson Theater at the Music Center.

This Pulitzer Prize winning drama follows the story of the Pollitts, a wealthy southern family whose history of greed and deception looms overhead as the imminent death of the family’s patriarch approaches. Siblings and spouses go head-to-head to secure the Pollitt fortune, weaving an overwhelming web of mistruths.

Post-show commentary will be conducted by Resident Scholar, Tom Mitchell, on Sunday Aug. 12 and Thursday Aug. 15.

“Life Upon the Wicked Stage / Celebrating Grand Center Theatre District – Then and Now” will be the focus for three one-act plays with music directed by former St. Louisan Brian Hohlfeld:

  • “In Our Profession”
  • “The Magic Tower”
  • “The Fat Man’s Wife”

Almost 100 years ago, what we now call Grand Center in St. Louis was the place to go for entertainment. Vaudeville was struggling but still popular…double-features (with live acts in between) played all day at The Fabulous Fox and Missouri theaters…music poured from dance halls and clubs…and the hotels were packed with the touring casts of last year’s Broadway’s hits.

Young Tom Williams soaked it all up.

In celebration of the history and the continuing charm of Grand Center, TWStL will present “Life Upon the Wicked Stage” taking place upstairs at The Curtain Call Lounge just steps from the bustling streets and locations where much of the action takes place.

“Like the rest of the theatre-going public, Tom was intrigued by what went on backstage, a world he would soon become familiar with, and imagined what the lives of the nomadic show-folk must be like. He brings them to life with affection and bemusement in these one-acts all set in the 1930s and portrays the ups and downs of a career in show-biz. In these early plays, Williams, still finding his voice, is clearly influenced by the plots and styles of the movies he would have seen on this very street, bringing the experience full circle,” explains Houk.

The theatrical but intimate setting of the Curtain Call is perfect for a program about show-biz. Like a “mini-jukebox musical,” “Life Upon the Wicked Stage” features songs from the period to evoke the era of Vaudeville and the type of entertainment Tom would have encountered in his Grand Avenue outings long, long ago…

Director Hohlfeld has been writing for feature films and television animation for over 35 years, with projects at Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers, Tri- Star, Columbia, Disney, and Hasbro Studios. As a producer and writer, he has been nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards and twice for a Humanitas Award, winning once for the Disney Jr. show he created My Friends Tigger and Pooh.

Hohlfeld started his career in St. Louis as an actor and playwright with the Theatre Project Company and the St. Louis Rep. For the St. Louis Tennessee Williams Festival, he directed the memorable on-site production of The Glass Menagerie as well as several one-acts onstage and as part of the radio series “Something Spoken,” in collaboration with Classic 107.3.

The following panels – which will further shed light upon the themes of the Festival – will take place at The Grandel.

  • Secrets of Tennessee’s Stage Directions
  • The Wicked Stage: 1930s Theatre and Performances in St Louis
  • Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Revision upon Revision

Other Festival events include:

  • Reading of “Stella for Star” an adaptation of the first award-winning story by the young Tom

Williams curated by TWSTL Scholar Tom Mitchell

  • A Walking Tour: Grand Center Theatre District, Then and Now… led by Mitchell
  • Late Night Open Mic “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”

“Festival audiences are in-store for our best programming ever!” exclaims Board Chair Ted Wight.  “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is one of Tennessee William’s most popular plays that will delight the audience with intriguing theater.”

Tickets are on sale through Metrotix. Additional information and Festival event details can be found at twstl.org.

‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ in 2018 won seven awards from the St Louis Theater Circle.

About the Festival

In 2014, award-winning producer, casting director, actor, and educator Carrie Houk produced Williams’ Stairs to the Roof with such success that the ongoing annual Festival was established. The Festival, which aims to enrich the cultural life of St. Louis by producing an annual theater festival and other artistic events that celebrate the artistry and life of Tennessee Williams, was named the Arts Startup of the Year Award by the Arts and Education Council at the 2019 St. Louis Arts Awards. In its eight iterations since 2016, the Festival has attracted thousands to its readings, panel discussions, concerts, exhibitions, and productions, has reached hundreds of young people through its educational programming, and has garnered 13 awards from the St. Louis Theater Circle and was recently nominated for a  St. Louis Theater Circle awards for Outstanding Performer in a Drama, Female or Non-Binary Role for 2023’s Suddenly Last Summer.

Tennessee Williams and Anna Magnani on a Roman holiday filming “The Rose Tattoo”

About Tennessee Williams

Born Thomas Lanier Williams III in 1911 in Mississippi, Williams moved to St. Louis at age seven, when his father was made an executive with the International Shoe Company (where the City Museum and the Last Hotel are now located). He lived here for more than two decades, attending Washington University, working at the International Shoe Company, and producing his first plays at local theaters. He credited his sometimes-difficult experiences in St. Louis for the deeply felt poetic essence that permeates his artistry. When asked later in life when he left St. Louis, he replied, “I never really left.” Most people are familiar with the famous works that have garnered multiple Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Academy Awards, such as The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly Last Summer. He also wrote hundreds of additional plays, stories, essays, and poems, many of which are only now seeing the light of day as his estate permits greater access. He is today considered by many leading authorities to be one of America’s greatest playwrights.

Arts For Life Announces Theatre Mask Award Winners For Plays in ’22

Arts For Life Announces Theatre Mask Award Winners For Plays in ’22

Kirkwood Theatre Guild’s comedy “Calendar Girls” and Hawthorne Players’ drama “A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” swept the eighth annual Theatre Mask Awards on April 15.

Through the nonprofit organization Arts For Life, the TMAs have honored drama and comedy plays since 2015. This year recognized community theatre achievements in 2022.

TMA Chairperson Melissa Boyer said 25 shows were eligible, produced by 11 community theatres.

“This has been a very busy year and the quality of shows this year couldn’t have been better,” Boyer said.

AFL President Mary McCreight said it was more shows than ever before and congratulated all involved for the hard work they did.

“Thank you to the theater groups pursuing their dreams…you do it to bring smiles to the audience and to cultivate appreciation for the arts,” she said.

“Calendar Girls” won 7 for Outstanding Production of a Comedy, Performance by an Ensemble Cast of a Large Production, Director of a Comedy Deanna Jent, Lead Actress in a Comedy Kay Martin Love as Annie, Supporting Actor in a Comedy Gerry Love as John, Supporting Actress in a Comedy Gabi Maul as Celia, and Costume Design Cherol Thibaut.

The play is based on the true story of 11 Women Institute members in a small village in England’s Yorkshire Dales who pose for an ‘alternative’ calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund. It was adapted from the 2003 film.

Dan Wolfe as Christopher in “A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” Photo by Jim Wolfe.

“A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” won 5, for Outstanding Production of a Drama, Lead Actor Dan Wolfe as Christopher, Director of a Drama Ken Clark, Set Design Ken Clark, and Lighting Design Eric Wennlund.

The drama, adapted from a novel by Mark Haddon as a play-within-a-play, involves many visual effects and projections. It’s a mystery around the neighbor’s dog’s death, which is being investigated by Christopher, who is autistic and a math prodigy.

Hawthorne Players in Florissant had received 18 nominations, with 10 for “A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” and 8 for “Picnic,” leading all St. Louis area-metro-east Illinois community theater groups.

Tim Kelly, who won for his portrayal of Col. Nathan Jessup in “A Few Good Man” at The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves.” Kim Klick photo.

The Kirkwood Theatre Guild had 15 TMA nods, with 11 for “Calendar Girls” and 4 for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Jan Meyer, as Big Mama Politte, won Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in the Tennessee Williams production.

Two performers from O’Fallon Theatre Works were recognized – Susan Wylie as Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role – Drama, for playing Constance Blackwood in “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” and Ben Ketcherside as Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role – Comedy for playing William Shakespeare in “Shakespeare in Love.”

Tim Kelly, as Col. Nathan Jessup in “A Few Good Men,” won Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama for the Theatre Guild of Webster Groves production.

Monroe Actors Stage Company won for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast of a Small Production for “Footlight Frenzy.”

In their heartfelt speeches, winners expressed gratitude for theater families and the bonds that are created during a show’s preparation and production.

“Storytelling builds community,” said director Deanna Jent, winner for “Calendar Girls.”

Director Ken Clark, winner for “A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” said the support that happens is the most special aspect.

“Relationships are the real reward,” he said.

The Hawthorne Players team paid tribute to posthumous nominee Natalee Damron, 29, who died three weeks after the show closed. She had suffered from a connective tissue disorder, Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Clark said Natalee had played her dream role, the teacher mentor Siobhan. He introduced her mother, Pamela, who was on hand for the ceremony.

Amanda McMichael was the master of ceremonies. She won the TMA in 2020 for Lead Actress in a Comedy, for Act Two Theatre’s “Plaza Suite,” which was performed in 2019. She was a 2023 nominee as Yvonne in “The Dinner Party” at Wentzville’s Connection Theatre Company. She is also a small business owner of Once Upon a Time in St. Charles’ historic business district.

She reminded everyone of the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, the year she won, picking up her award in a parking lot “like a carpool lane.” She wanted to point out how far we have come to return to live theater.

A luncheon at Andre’s Banquet Center South in St. Louis was part of this year’s festivities. Presenters included past winners Caitlin Bromberger, Nancy Crouse, Jonathan Garland, Jackie Goodall, Brittany Kohl Hester, Grayson Jostes, Chris Lanham, Elle Lanham, Ken Lopinot, Mary McCreight, Julie Petraborg, and Shane Rudolph. Natalie Klick was the Trophy Assistant.

“I loved seeing everyone come together and laugh and catch up with each other,” Boyer said. “I want to commend Amanda McMichael for her well-paced, hilarious job as the emcee. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the Theatre Mask Awards. It was really fun!” 

Calendar Girls in attendance with Trophy Assistant Natalie Klick

McCreight said the awards ceremony went off without a hitch last Saturday.

“As always, there was lots of friendly chatter among theatre groups and cheering for each other when winners were announced,” she said. “I am loving the camaraderie among the actors, directors, crews and family. Can’t wait to do it all over again next year.”

Participating AFL groups in the Theatre Mask Awards include Act Two Theatre, Clayton Community Theatre, Goshen Theatre Project, Hawthorne Players, Kirkwood Theatre Guild, KTK Productions, Looking Glass Playhouse, Monroe Actors Stage Company, O’Fallon Theatre Works, Theatre Guild of Webster Groves, and Wentzville Connection Community Theatre.

The TMAs were judged by 29 volunteers who traversed a 35-mile radius in the St. Louis metropolitan area and metro-east Illinois region to assess eligible productions.

David Wicks Jr. is the Theatre Recognition Guild chairman. Keaton Treece was the 2022 TMA secretary and Jadienne Davidson is the 2023 TMA secretary.

Nominations and awards are listed on the website, www.artsforlife.org.

Cast and team of “A Curious Incident’

Arts For Life is a local not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the healing power of the arts through its work with youth, the underserved, and the community, with its goal of “Making a Dramatic Difference.”

AFL is dedicated to promoting public awareness of local community theatre, encouraging excellence in the arts, and acknowledging the incredible people who are a part of it.

More information is on the website about the 23rd Best Performance Awards on July 2 at 2 p.m. at the Florissant Performing Arts Center. The BPAs have honored musical theater in community and youth productions since 1999.

For more information, email afltrg@artsforlife.org or visit the website, www.artsforlife.org

Cover photo of “Calendar Girls” by Dan Donovan

Ben Ketcherside, who played William Shakespeare, in “Shakespeare in Love” at O’Fallon Theatre Works. Kim Klick Photo
Susan Wylie of “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” at O’Fallon Theatre Works. Kim Klick photo.

The Voices of Two Literary Titans Come to Life in ‘Truman and Tennessee’ Documentary

The Voices of Two Literary Titans Come to Life in ‘Truman and Tennessee’ Documentary

:By Lynn Venhaus
The brilliant work, troubled lives and unique personal journeys of two titans of American literature – Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams — are explored in the revealing “Truman and Tennessee; An Intimate Conversation.”

Truman Capote and Williams were gay Southerners who achieved life-changing literary success around the same time, in the late 1940s. As this illuminating documentary shows, they were friends – and rivals – for 40 years. They reveal truths about each other in conversations captured here.

Their professional and personal lives were fascinating, caught the attention of the glitterati in the 1950s and 1960s, and influenced generations, despite crippling addictions that tragically resulted in their deaths.

Because of their inner turmoil, there is a haunting melancholy to their appearances on talk shows – with the erudite hosts Dick Cavett and David Frost, shown here.

Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland has taken an innovative approach to sharing a wealth of archival material, focusing on typewritten and hand-written pages, old photographs, magazine excerpts and selected scenes from their movie adaptations.

“A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Sweet Bird of Youth,” “The Rose Tattoo,” “Suddenly, Last Summer” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” are among the Tennessee Williams’ films. Capote’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “In Cold Blood” are shown, featuring interesting backstories.

To add a heightened reality to their personal letters and journals, Vreeland enlisted actors Jim Parsons (Capote) and Zachary Quinto (Williams) to interpret Truman and Tennessee’s wit, wisdom and flair for the dramatic.

Parsons and Quinto, while most famous for their screen work, have had successful appearances on Broadway, notably together in the Tony-winning play revival of “The Boys in the Band.” Using just the right tone and cadence, they infuse this work with an emotional resonance and demonstrate how both authors wrote like they talked, with their distinct voices.

Capote and Williams’ cultural impact is emphasized, and while the dual portraits are informative, what is lacking is some perspective. Adding other talking heads would have been beneficial in establishing their place in the 20th century.

Capote, who was born in New Orleans but moved to Alabama when he was 2, and Williams, who was born in Mississippi but moved to St. Louis when he was 8, were impacted by lonely childhoods and the places they lived.

The documentary isn’t long – 86 minutes, but the wealth of material covered is indeed impressive. And revisiting these gifted men’s most memorable works is a rather satisfying undertaking.

“Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation” is a documentary
directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland.
It has voice work by Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto. The film is not rated and has a run time of 1 hour and 26 minutes. The film is available for viewing at www.kinomarquee.com, through Kino Lorber. It opened at Plaza Frontenac Cinema on June 25 for a week.

Lynn’s Grade: B