Tennessee Williams Program 34th Annual | Page 30

Walking Tours TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR CREATED BY DR. KENNETH HOLDITCH March 26, 27, 28, and 29 10 AM – 12 Noon and 2 – 4 PM New Orleans, and especially the French Quarter, played a vital role in shaping Tennessee Williams. When he came here for the first time, he was Tom Williams. When he left here a couple of months later, he was known as Tennessee, having undergone a tremendous change in his personal life and his creativity. A man perpetually on the move, Tennessee considered this city his “spiritual home” and had at least eight residences in its famous neighborhoods. Visit the homes and hangouts where he lived and worked and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. Led by Heritage Tours and created by Dr. Kenneth Holditch, this was the first literary tour of the French Quarter. Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $25 or VIP Pass. CEMETERY TOUR March 25 and 26 11 AM – 12:30 PM This walking tour, led by historian Frank Perez, explores New Orleans’ oldest “City of the Dead.” Founded in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery #1, is a fascinating study in the city’s death and burial customs. Notable residents include Voodoo Queen Marie LaVeau, civil rights activist Homer Plessy, World Chess Champion Paul Morphy, famed architect Benjamin Latrobe, and statesman Bernard de Marigny. Essentially a walk through New Orleans history, this tour covers topics ranging from Voodoo, Free People of Color and race relations, immigration in New Orleans, civil rights, LGBTQ+ history, yellow fever, and slave revolts. 90 minutes. Hotel Monteleone, Mezzanine outside Orleans B, $25 or VIP Pass LGBT+ FRENCH QUARTER TOUR March 27, 3:30 – 5 PM March 28, 1 – 2:30 PM This leisurely stroll through the French Quarter focuses on New Orleans’ enchanting past with an emphasis on the neighborhood’s queer history and its rich literary heritage. See where writers lived and wrote, and learn about the incredible contributions lesbians and gay men have made to the 28 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL city over its 300-year-old history. Other highlights include Jackson Square, Free People of Color, the French Market, the birth of jazz, Voodoo, and a wide diversity of architecture. The tour is guided by long-time French Quarter resident Frank Perez, a local historian and professional tour guide who has written two books about French Quarter history. The Friday tour will include a private tour of “Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival,” a temporary exhibit by the Louisiana State Museum at the Presbytere on Jackson Square. Hotel Monteleone, Mezzanine outside Orleans B, $25 or VIP Pass HISTORIC STORYVILLE WALKING TOUR March 26 and 27, 3 – 5 PM March 28, 10 AM – 12 noon and 3 - 5 PM Join Dianne “Gumbo Marie” Honoré on this unique, intriguing walk through parts of what was once the most notorious red-light district in the country, Storyville. Hear stories of cribs, chippies, the Tango Belt, and the last madam, along with the mayhem each night brought forth. Louis Armstrong referred to his childhood neighborhood of Black Storyville as the “worst” area in the city during Jim Crow-era New Orleans. It was also home to the beginnings of Jazz, popular music joints, second lines, the birth of the baby dolls Mardi Gras tradition, and Jelly Roll Morton’s other profession. We stop along the way for a refreshing cocktail! Cocktail cost not included. Hotel Monteleone, Mezzanine outside Orleans B, $25 or VIP Pass NOLA DRAG TOUR March 26, 27, 28, and 29 1 – 3 PM From drag queens to Storyville madams to the Ursuline nuns, Quinn LaRoux teaches the fascinating history of the rebellious and dangerous women who built New Orleans! Nola Drag Tours are hilarious, entertaining, and deeply committed to historical accuracy and social responsibility. Tours emphasize the contributions and stories of women, queer people, and people of color, and attendees can expect to learn much about the history of trans people, the sex industry, and famous LGBTQ figures. Total tour walking distance is just under 2 miles. Bar Tonique, 820 N. Rampart Street, $30 or VIP Pass