March 19, 2024 – (KEY WEST, FL). On Thursday, March 28, join the Key West Art & Historical Society, Tennessee Williams Museum and Fringe Theater as they together present “The Men of Tennessee Williams” as part of the annual month-long Tennessee Williams Festival. The staged reading, directed by Wende Shoer, takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Little Room Jazz Club, 821 Duval Street.
Tennessee Williams, one of the leading American playwrights of the 20th century and a resident of Key West for more than thirty years, has often been credited with crafting compelling female characters such as Amanda Wingfield in “The Glass Menagerie” and Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Male characters, on the other hand, are regularly snubbed by literary critics and reviewers. “The Men of Tennessee Williams” will shift the spotlight to the male characters through two little known one-act plays by Williams.”
First to be featured during the evening’s stage reading will be “The Parade, or Approaching the End of Summer” which delves into the story of Williams’ first love during the summer of 1940. It is an unguarded story about gay men, but also a portrait of passions unrequited and denied that reveal the depth in compassion which can be found in friendship. The second play is “The Big Game” that takes place in a hospital room where Tony, a baseball player, has an infection in his leg and insists on joining the big game even though the doctors won’t let him. Dave has a lung infection, sleeps poorly at night, and spends the majority of his time daydreaming. The interactions between patients and staff are lively in this cryptic short work.
“The Men of Tennessee Williams” will showcase several local actors including Wayne Dapser, Jim Argoudelis, Merle Dimbath, Jim Speake, Wayne Smith, Nancy 3 Hoffman, Samantha Laskey, Zach Franchini, Thom Masat and Alana Thurston.
Tickets are on sale now and the Little Room Jazz Club’s full food menu will be available during the performance. Doors to the venue will open at 5:3 p.m. with the one-act plays beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. To reserve your spot at the reading; visit kwahs.org/tw-men – $50 for KWAHS members, $60 for non-members. This program is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, with additional support provided by Dennis Beaver & Bert Whitt. For more information, contact Cori Convertito, Ph.D. at 305-295-6616 x507 or [email protected].
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IMAGE 1: Thought-provoking male characters developed by Tennessee Williams will be explored in the upcoming “The Men of Tennessee Williams” event at the Little Room Jazz Club on March 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The program is organized by the Key West Art & Historical Society, Tennessee Williams Museum and Fringe Theater. Tickets available www.kwahs.org/tw-men. (Photo Credit: Tennessee Williams Museum)
