The Festival welcomes the new BEAUBOURG THEATRE
at 614 Gravier Street to our lineup. Beaubourg will
feature Tennessee Williams content, special readings
and performances, and a Free Workshop Series
generously sponsored by The Helis Foundation.
The Beaubourg Theatre presents
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
In his late career, Tennessee Williams wrote two one-acts that explore
the human response to living in a future stripped of contemporary
convenience and comfort. Eerily evocative of our current climate, “The
Demolition Downtown” is a dark comedy centered on two upper-middle
class couples grappling with the loss of privilege in an explosive world. It
is paired with the brief play of survival, “The Chalky White Substance,”
which sees two men relying on each other in the aftermath of nuclear war.
Directed by David Williams and Riot Mueller.
Beaubourg Theatre, 614 Gravier Street, $20 or VIP Pass
Thursday, March 26, 8 – 9 PM
Friday, March 27, 9 – 10 PM
Saturday, March 28, 8 – 9 PM
Sunday, March 29, 2:30 – 3:30 PM
ALSO AT BEAUBOURG THEATRE DURING THE FESTIVAL
Free Theater Workshops Sponsored by The Helis Foundation
EM DASH, ELLIPSIS, FULL STOP: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS AND
HIS STYLOMETRIC ARSENAL
Stylometry is an actor’s greatest tool in uncovering a writer’s intent,
rhythm, and meaning. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore what
punctuation means in Williams’ work, experiment with monologues from
A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie, and discover how to
enhance our experience with Williams’ texts. Theater makers, readers, and
anyone who loves to immerse themselves into the stories of Tennessee
Williams will find this workshop a valuable experience. Led by Producing
Artistic Director of Southern Rep Theatre, Aimee Hayes.
Free workshop series sponsored by The Helis Foundation
Beaubourg Theatre, free admission but need to reserve a seat
Thursday, March 26, 11 – 12:15 PM
AUDITION MONOLOGUES: HOW TO GET THE JOB DONE
This workshop by Thomas Keith will explore the practical aspects of an
actor’s job performing monologues for auditions, including choosing a
piece, analysis, rehearsal, focus, character, and the audition experience.
Everyone is welcome to attend, and we will need several actors who arrive
prepared to perform a memorized 60-to-90-second monologue of any
kind and work with the instructor. If you’re interested in performing a
monologue and taking adjustments, be sure to bring a printed copy of the
text of your monologue.
Free workshop series sponsored by The Helis Foundation
26 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL
Beaubourg Theatre, free admission but need to reserve a seat
Friday, March 27, 10 – 11:30 AM
THE HAUNTED: WRITING CHARACTERS CONSUMED BY
THEIR PAST
Blanche DuBois. Serafina Delle Rose. Maggie the Cat. Tennessee
Williams created legendary characters haunted by their past choices and
ancestral ghosts. In this workshop, we will examine some of Tennessee’s
“haunted” characters and discuss the strategies that make them dynamic,
unforgettable characters. Then we will embark on a writing exercise
to create haunted characters of our own. Led by Pulitzer Prize finalist,
playwright Lisa D’Amour
Free workshop series sponsored by The Helis Foundation
Beaubourg Theatre, free admission but need to reserve a seat
Saturday, March 28, 10 – 11:30 AM
THEATER EVENTS
TENNESSEE RISING: THE DAWN OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
Written & Performed by Jacob Storms
What events led Tennessee Williams to become the most groundbreaking
and misunderstood American playwright of the 20th Century? Tennessee
Rising: The Dawn of Tennessee Williams—A New Solo Play, explores
the formative six-year period from 1939 to 1945 that shaped a young
unknown writer named Tom into
the acclaimed playwright known as
Tennessee. Recipient of the United
Solo Award, Tennessee Rising brings
these unexplored years center
stage, and the audience becomes
friend and confidant to young
Williams as he experiences the
unexpected highs and devastating
lows of his early life, wherein
his most enigmatic character
develops, himself. Directed by Alan
Cumming.
Beaubourg Theatre, $20 or VIP
Pass
Thursday, March 26, 1 – 2:15 PM
Friday, March 27, 7 – 8:15 PM
Saturday, March 28, 2 – 3:15 PM