"Suddenly Last Summer - like A Streetcar Named Desire before it - is drenched in Southern Gothic humidity, sex, passion, and insanity. It threatens tyranny and lobotomy. It talks of God and man; is man’s selfish nature an imitation of a cruel God? Tennessee Williams' poetic-prose is working at an extremely high level in this play, revealing tormented souls and aching hearts the way great music reveals the unspeakable.” - Tim Ocel, Director
This fresh retelling of Suddenly Last Summer, first performed in 1957, focuses on the life and death of closeted gay poet Sebastian Venable, whose mysterious death occurs while on a trip to Italy with his cousin Catharine. After the recent tragedy, Mrs. Venable will stop at nothing to keep her son’s (and her own) secrets safe. Generally accepted as a modern-day horror story, this play has autobiographical roots from Williams’ own family life.
A drama by Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Tennessee Williams, Suddenly Last Summer will be presented at the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at Center of Creative Arts (COCA) September 7-17.
SPONSORED BY
THE WHITAKER FOUNDATION
THE REGIONAL ARTS COMMISION
MARY STRAUSS
THE KRANZBERG ART FOUNDATION
AND BOEING
*Tennessee Williams, St. Louis, and the Blues/ Tennessee Williams titled his first collection of one-act plays “American Blues” exemplifying the importance of the genre in his imagination. How did the playwright incorporate Blues music into his plays, and how do the Blues continue to inspire playwrights today?
*Tennessee’s “Madness”/ In Suddenly Last Summer, Tennessee Williams explores mental health in the poet Sebastian, his mother Violet, and his cousin Catharine who is a mental patient facing an imminent “brain operation.” How was mental health understood at the time of the play and how did psychological challenges impact Williams’s life?
*The Caterpillar Dogs and Other Early Stories/ The 2023 New Directions edition of stories from the years when Thomas Lanier Williams was a writer of fiction living in St. Louis reveals his deep connections to the city. Editor, Tom Mitchell will discuss the author’s early fiction with Bess Rowen and Joi Hoffsommer will perform “The Caterpillar Dogs” the title story. The new collection of stories will be available for purchase and signing in conjunction with Left Bank Books.
Made possible through the generous support of the Missouri Humanities Council
Directed by Brian Hohlfeld
Originally performed as a curtain raiser for Suddenly Last Summer and billed as the “Garden District Plays,” Something Unspoken will be performed at the magnificent home of University City Mayor, Terry Crow.
September 8th-10th
SPONSORED BY TERRY CROW
PETER SHANK
AND TERRY HOFFMANN
