不良研究所导航网址

Well, not the real Tennessee Williams, obviously. He died in 1983, and this isn鈥檛 a seance.

Instead, an actor portraying the playwright will kick off the festival鈥檚 mainstage play 鈥淐at on a Hot Tin Roof.鈥�

For those unfamiliar with the play, Tennessee Williams did not write himself into it.

The actor is actually reading the 鈥淣otes for the Designer鈥� that appear at the beginning of the play鈥檚 script but aren鈥檛 meant to be read to the audience.

鈥淭ennessee Williams鈥� 鈥楳emoirs鈥� really speak to the fact that he was living a life that he could hardly write about,鈥� says Kiah McKirnan, who will play Maggie 鈥渢he cat鈥� in the production.

Williams鈥� secret life was, of course, that he was a homosexual. So were the original owners of the house where 鈥淐at on a Hot Tin Roof鈥� unfolds. In fact, the entire play takes place in previous owners鈥� Jack Straw and Peter Ochello鈥檚 bedroom.

The room, Williams explains in the note, still looks pretty much how those men left it. 鈥淚n other words, the room must evoke some ghosts; it is gently and poetically haunted by a relationship that must have involved a tenderness which was uncommon.鈥�

This is relevant to the play because one of its central conflicts is between Maggie and her husband, Brick Pollitt, who are staying in the room while they visit Brick鈥檚 family to celebrate his father鈥檚 birthday. Brick and Maggie鈥檚 marriage has hit the skids due to Brick鈥檚 issues with sexuality.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the voice that I鈥檝e heard in these 鈥楳emoirs,鈥� and him talking about St. 不良研究所导航网址, manifest in our production,鈥� McKirnan says.

She read Williams鈥� 鈥淢emoirs鈥� to prep for her role. 鈥淚t really helped me get in the brain of his play,鈥� she says, adding, 鈥渉e really loved the women in his life. He loved his sister. He loved his mother. 鈥� There was a reason he wrote his women so well.鈥�

Maggie may be one of his best roles. Her relentless patter with her taciturn husband fills the first act of the play.

鈥淭he first act is basically just a monologue,鈥� McKirnan says. 鈥淎t first I was simply just intimidated by the word count. I think anyone who plays Maggie would be.鈥�

But McKirnan was also excited to bring the iconic role to life. 鈥淚鈥檓 very aware of the women who have stepped into this role from Elizabeth Taylor to Jessica Lange to Elizabeth Ashley to Scarlett Johansson to Anika Noni Rose, there鈥檚 a large footprint.鈥�

McKirnan lives in New York, and being in the festival wasn鈥檛 on her radar, but Carrie Houk, executive director for the Tennessee Williams Festival, reached out to her. McKirnan attended Webster University and had met Houk there.

鈥淎t first, the thought of going back to St. 不良研究所导航网址 shocked me,鈥� says McKirnan who graduated in 2019. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 a theater nerd and to do 鈥楥at on a Hot Tin Roof鈥� is a bucket list item.鈥�

McKirnan read for the part and is now not just back in St. 不良研究所导航网址 but back on Webster鈥檚 campus, where the play rehearsed.

鈥淚鈥檓 getting all these crazy flashbacks, even just the smell is bringing back all these memories,鈥� she says.

She thinks that this version of the play is going to be particularly powerful thanks to director Michael Wilson, who has directed on Broadway (鈥淭he Trip to Bountiful,鈥� 鈥淭he Best Man鈥�) and off-Broadway (鈥淚ncident at Vichy,鈥� 鈥淭he Old Friends鈥�).

McKirnan and Wilson have been on the same wavelength about the play from the beginning. When she got the role, McKirnan tracked down a filmed version of the stage play that starred Elizabeth Ashley and watched it exactly once, captivated by its physicality and focus.

When she got to St. 不良研究所导航网址, she found out that production was also a touchstone for Wilson.

鈥淚 told him that I saw the Elizabeth Ashley version and his eyes lit up, and he was so happy,鈥� McKirnan recalls.

The festival will also include three Tennessee Williams one-acts that all deal with the theater and acting. The theme for this year鈥檚 festival is 鈥淟ife Upon the Wicked Stage鈥� and is taking place in Grand Center, which would have been the main entertainment district when Williams lived in St. 不良研究所导航网址 from 1919 to 1929 and then again from 1931 to 1937.

鈥淲illiams was heavily influenced by movies he saw when he was young,鈥� says Brian Hohlfield, who is directing the three one-acts. 鈥淭hese are all early works of his. They鈥檙e all written in the 鈥�30s, and they鈥檙e all very much, you can tell, influenced by movies at the time.鈥�

The one-acts are: 鈥淚n Our Profession,鈥� 鈥淭he Magic Tower鈥� and 鈥淭he Fat Man鈥檚 Wife.鈥� All are about actresses facing an important decision at different stages in their career.

鈥淭he actress character in each of these plays is not the actual same character, but it鈥檚 kind of an arc of an actress that we鈥檙e looking at,鈥� Hohlfield explains. 鈥淔rom the early days of her career to later. And the same actress is playing all three roles.鈥�

Julie Lake is starring in all of the one-acts and between them will be cabaret performances of songs of the era, such as 鈥淢y Blue Heaven鈥� and 鈥淪kylark.鈥�

In addition to the one-acts, there will be panels and walking tours to further immerse people in the life and times of Tennessee Williams, who lived in St. 不良研究所导航网址 from age 8 until he went to Mizzou at 18. His father pulled him out of Mizzou and brought him back to the city, making him work at the International Shoe Factory. At 24, Williams had a nervous breakdown and left the city for good when he was 26.

After that, he loudly proclaimed he didn鈥檛 like St. 不良研究所导航网址.

鈥淎s time went on, I think he changed his story a little bit,鈥� Hohlfield says. 鈥淗e ended up acknowledging that it did have a positive effect on him as well.鈥�