We're kicking off with Stella!
Our belove Stella Shouting Contest is our opening event, SUNDAY, MARCH 19 in Jackson Square. Contestant signup begins at 3:45 PM and we take the first 25. The contest starts at 4:15 PM.
Plus, this year it's a fundraiser! We're raising awareness and money for the New Orleans Family Justice Center, a partnership of agencies dedicated to ending domestic violence. The NOFJC provides access to free crisis services and shelter, legal aid, advocacy and case management, trauma counseling, and prevention education.
And we're so appreciative that the Goldring Family Foundation has joined us in these efforts as a sponsor for the fundraiser with a generous cash donation. Join your money with theirs for the first ever Festival fundraiser for our New Orleans community!
DONATE HERE
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22
7:30 PM – 9 PM—Theatre
TWFest's Opening Night Event: Pity for the Wild
Pity for the Wild will be an evening celebrating Tennessee by performing works that will celebrate a significant anniversary this year. David Hoover and Brittany N. Williams host this event, which features scenes from notable works such as Summer and Smoke, celebrating its 75th Anniversary, and The Two-Character Play, celebrating 50 years, plus Not About Nightingales and The One Exception, all performed by some of New Orleans' most exciting actors.
Included will be a scene from each of our partner theatre companies: Night of the Iguana by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof produced by Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré.
Additionally, the evening will feature Bryan Batt performing portions of his play, Dear Mr. Williams. The talent of Tennessee and some of the best performers the city has to offer will be quite a treat to kick off our 37th Annual Festival.
This event is sponsored by Peggy and Timber Floyd.
Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, 616 St. Peter Street, $20 - $40 or VIP Pass.
NEW THIS YEAR!
Thursday, March 23
Friday, March 24
Saturday, March 25
Inspired by Williams’ love of the Bohemian lifestyle of New Orleans, TWFest has created The Last Bohemia Fringe Festival, featuring artists whose work exists beyond the boundaries of traditional theatre.
Nightly performances are at The Twilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Avenue, Thursday - Saturday, March 23 – 25.
Tickets on sale NOW: cocktail table seating for $35 and general admission seating for $22 per show.
Performances include four nightly shows plus a different headliner each night.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 11 AM – 12:15 PM—Special Event: A DRAG BRUNCH NAMED DESIRE
Poppy Tooker returns with Drag Queen Brunch! We are thrilled to welcome New Orleans' most desirable drag queens to entertain you while you nosh on a three-course brunch from Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House! And bottomless mimosas of course! Every delectable dish comes from the Poppy Tooker's Drag Queen Brunch cookbook, which can be signed onsite by this beloved New Orleanian cheerleader.
Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, 144 Bourbon Street, $100
Tickets HERE
THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 3 – 4 PM—Special Event: INTERVIEW AND BOOK SIGNING WITH NEAL BODENHEIMER, SPONSORED BY SAZERAC CO.
Peychaud’s invites you to an interview and a cocktail with Neal Bodenheimer, managing partner of James Beard Award-winning bar Cure, and author of Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em. Peychaud’s is at the Hotel Maison de Ville, a favorite haunt of Tennessee Williams, where Neal will discuss his book and the history of New Orleans cocktail culture. The talk will be followed by a book signing. Tickets include a book and one complimentary cocktail.
Peychaud’s, 727 Toulouse Street, $30, Tickets HERE
4 – 5 PM—Special Event: HAPPY HOUR AT PEYCHAUD’S
Join us for a special Tennessee Williams happy hour at Peychaud’s bar! Following Neal Bodenheimer’s interview and book signing, Peychaud’s will host a happy hour to benefit the Tennessee Williams Festival. Once you’ve arrived, you can donate $10 to the Fest and receive one cocktail made by the talented bartenders at Peychaud’s.
Peychaud’s, 727 Toulouse Street, $10 donation per cocktail.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 8:30 – 9:45 AM—Special Event: BOOKS AND BEIGNETS WITH GARY RICHARDS
Thanks to 3rd Block Depot Kitchen & Bar for hosting our beloved Books & Beignets! This year's focus shifts to one of the most important 19th-century U.S. writers, Kate Chopin. Born in St. Louis in 1850, her marriage took her to the New Orleans streets, and the bayous and prairies of Louisiana, locales that immeasurably enriched her subsequent literary career. Best known for her novel The Awakening (1899), she was nevertheless a talented short story writer among the most preeminent of her era. The book club discussion will focus on six of these stories: "Beyond the Bayou," "At the 'Cadian Ball," "La Belle Zoraïde," "Athénaïse," "A Matter of Prejudice," and "Nég Créol." They are available in Penguin's Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie (ISBN: 978-0140436815) but can also be easily found on the Internet.
3rd Block Depot Kitchen + Bar, 316 Chartres Street
Tickets Here: $25 or VIP Pass
