The Department of Theatre & Drama opens the 2011-12 season celebrating Tennessee Williams’ 100th birthday with a production of his play “Suddenly Last Summer,” and a four-day conference on his work.
Called one of America’s most controversial and acclaimed dramatists, Williams explores the human capacity for violence in the play. It is presented at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and 13; 8 p.m. Oct. 7, 8, 14 and 15; and 2 p.m. Oct. 9 and 16 in the Arthur Miller Theatre. Professor of Theatre and Drama Philip Kerr directs the production, which debuted off-Broadway in 1958. Critics heralded it for its unique language and theatrical form. It tells the story of two women trying to come to terms with the death of a loved one.
The conference, Tennessee Williams @ 100, is presented Oct. 12-15. It celebrates the work of the playwright who found fame in 1944 with “The Glass Menagerie.” Subsequent works included “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which won a 1947 Pulitzer Prize for drama, and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” which earned a second Pulitzer Prize in 1955. Scholars, playwrights and theatre artists will share their perspectives on Williams’ impact on American theatre, the American consciousness and his enduring influence on writers.
All conference events are free, excepting performances of “Suddenly Last Summer,” and open to the public. All panel discussions are at the Arthur Miller Theatre in the Walgreen Drama Center on North Campus. In addition to the keynote address and panels, the Residential College presents productions of three of William’s’ works.
Details of performances, panels and conference sessions are at www.music.umich.edu/williams.
