2024 TWFest Schedule

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Sunday, March 17
2 – 3:15 PM
STELLA SHOUTING CONTEST
Our beloved Stella Shouting Contest KICKS OFF our Festival on Sunday! Join us in Jackson Square for the annual competition to see who can best impress our judges with their rendition of Stanley Kowalski’s iconic line. Contestant signup begins at 1:30 and we take the first 25. We’re excited to have Beth Bartley d’Amour and Todd d’Amour as our Stella and Stanley. Actors Alexandra Daddario and Leslie Castay, currently filming Mayfair Witches, will be there to judge, along with Brian Sands and William Broderick. Plus, we’re once again making the Shouting Contest an awareness-raising and fundraising campaign 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. Full Details and Donate HERE.
Jackson Square, free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Goldring Family Foundation.

Wednesday, March 20
7:30 PM – 9 PM—Special Event
OPENING NIGHT: TENNESSEE RISING
Tennessee Rising: The Dawn of Tennessee Williams, a solo play written and performed by Jacob Storms and originally directed for the stage by Alan Cumming, explores the formative period from 1939 – 1945 in which an unknown writer named Tom becomes the acclaimed playwright known as Tennessee, wherein his most iconic character emerges: himself. 
Our Festival Opening Night kicks off with cocktails and a visit from Tallulah Bankhead, portrayed by Leslie Castay. Doors open at 7 PM. Cash bar.
This event is sponsored by Joy and Boysie Bollinger.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $40 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
9 AM—Special Event
THE NEW ORLEANS WRITING MARATHON
Jumpstart your writing with the New Orleans Writing Marathon! Hosted by founder Richard Louth, participants write their way across the French Quarter in cafés, pubs, bookstores, and anywhere a small group of writers can sit, write, and share their work. It’s all about writing in the moment, writing for the joy of it, and finding inspiration in one’s place. We start at the Hotel Monteleone before going out to explore the French Quarter as writers. For more information, visit www.writingmarathon.com and for questions, contact the NOWM at info@writingmarathon.com.
Writing Marathons begin at 9 AM on Thursday and Sunday. You can end your writing marathon at whatever time best fits your schedule.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, free and open to the public but please register at www.writingmarathon.com.

Thursday, March 21
10 – 11:15 AM—Writer’s Craft Session
THREE LEVELS, TWO QUESTIONS, AND THE WEIRDEST THING: SOME TOTALLY NON-GUARANTEED TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE A GREAT NOVEL—M.O. WALSH
Ever wanted to write a real page turner? What about a literary masterpiece? Why not write a book that is both lauded by critics and adored by fans? All these dreams are attainable! After all, if you’re going to spend this much time on something, you might as well do it right. In this session, New York Times bestselling novelist M.O. Walsh highlights a few ideas aspiring writers might want to keep in mind as they tackle their first novel (or second or third). Is this advice guaranteed to make your novel an international bestseller? Well, no. Might it help turn your current draft into a better version of itself, though? Heck yeah!  What more can we ask for than that?
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
10 AM – 12 NOON—Walking Tour
HISTORIC STORYVILLE WALKING TOUR
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. 
Other dates include: Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23, 10 AM – 12 NOON
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
11 AM – 12:30 PM—Walking Tour
LGBTQ+ FRENCH QUARTER TOUR
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 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 four books about French Quarter history.
Other dates include: Friday, March 22, 3:30 – 5 PM and Sunday, March 24, 1 – 2:30 PM.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
REFLECTIONS AND OMISSIONS: WRITING WITH THE UNSAID—STACEY BALKUN
“In a field, I am the absence of field,” writes Mark Strand, reminding us that not all absence is nothingness. As an instrument must have a resonating chamber in order to sing, texts too depend on empty space. This craft session will focus on what can be found in the white space of a text: how can omissions render a new narrative? How can reflection and recursion pronounce and echo? What can best be represented through absence? Turning to poets who have mastered the unsaid, this craft session will explore strategies to suspend logic, narrative, and even syntax in favor of lyric and gesture.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
1 – 3 PM—Walking Tour
HISTORY OF QUEER NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS TOUR
A 2-hour deep dive into the joy, heartbreak, and history of the New Orleans Queer Underground from the 1850s to the present. Follow the stories of sex worker street gangs, drag queens working for the mafia, jazz artists, and the queer community of today to discover the ways the queer underbelly of New Orleans has shaped the history of the entire world. With over 900 five star reviews, calling the tour “hilarious,” “deeply researched,” and “a life changing experience,” the tour restores New Orleans to its rightful place in Queer History as one of the most dynamic cultures shaping what it even means to be queer. All tours are led by artist, community organizer, and alleged spirit medium Quinn L Bishop. Total tour walking distance is just under 2 miles.
Other dates include: Friday, March 22 – Sunday, March 24, 1 – 3 PM
Crossing Bar, 439 Dauphine Street, $35 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
1:30 – 2:45 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
“THY CREATURE”: LITERARY MONSTERS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE—ADRIAN VAN YOUNG
Was Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark your favorite book as a child? Did Bram Stoker’s Dracula make you weep? Was It your most recent and memorable beach-read? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, then this craft session is for you. Taking our bearings from the father of all literary monsters, the creature from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this craft session led by creature-enthusiast and short story writer Adrian Van Young will explore literary monsters in both a literal and figurative sense of the word. Together, we’ll become taxonomists of the monstrous in fiction, investigating, discussing, and trying out monster-oriented literary principles and techniques such as: how to effectively describe your monster; how to characterize one; how and when to reveal one; and what various functions a monster can serve in the hideous cosmos that summon them forth. But never fear: our monster-investigations won’t stop there! Midway through, the craft session will shift gears into identifying and dissecting metaphorical monsters as well as literal ones. In the process, we’ll address concepts such as: the monster with a human face; the monster as a human foil; how monsters reflect their cultures of origin; the monster as a marker of otherness/difference; and—everyone’s favorite—monster lovers! Utilizing excerpts from acclaimed literary monster-engineers like Victor LaValle, Brian Evenson, Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, Nathan Ballingrud, Kelly Link, Mariana Enriquez and Guillermo Del Toro, we’ll get our monster faces right! Prepare to gnash your fangs and growl.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
3 – 4:15 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
SETTING AND WORLDBUILDING—ALEX JENNINGS
We think of worldbuilding as a consideration limited to imaginary-world fantasy or science fiction stories. But world building is something we do for ourselves every day the moment we wake up, remember our present circumstances, and start our day. Alex Jennings has lived in many different places over the years, from suburban Maryland to North Africa to New Orleans, and is intimately acquainted with the feeling of culture shock. We’ll  look at what culture shock is, how it can be a valuable tool for building perspective, and rooting our stories in specific times and places. 
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
5:45 – 7:15 PM—Walking Tour
FRENCH QUARTER GHOSTS AND LEGENDS TOUR
Join acclaimed local author and storyteller Ariadne Blayde for an immersive twilight walk exploring the dark local history and lore of the historic French Quarter, considered one of the most haunted districts in America. Learn about true crime, yellow fever, pirates, ghosts, and the city’s fascinating colonial history through visits to the Quarter’s most haunted places, including the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, the historic Mississippi riverfront, New Orleans’ oldest and most haunted bar, and more. Feel free to bring a drink!
Other dates include: Friday, March 22, 5:45 – 7:15 PM; Saturday, March 23, 8:30 – 10:00 PM; Sunday, March 24, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
622 Pirates Alley, meet outside Pirates Alley Cafe & Old Absinthe House, next to the Cathedral. $30 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
6:30 – 9 PM—Special Event
TRIBUTE READING: 
TENNESSEE AFTER DARK—THE EROTIC WORLD OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
This year’s tribute reading looks at the erotic side of Tennessee Williams in all the poetic, dramatic, comical, and surprising incarnations it has appeared. It was through the screen adaptations of his plays and the pulp movie tie-in editions they occasioned that Williams’ reputation as a writer of the salacious and steamy was cemented. However, a closer and less reductive look at his work tells a different story: depictions of sexual intensity are there to be sure, but so is tenderness, humor, beauty, exuberance, and a compassionate view of the physical connections human beings make with one another in their erotic complexity. Williams’ feelings on the subject were articulated by the character of Hannah in The Night of the Iguana when she said, “Nothing human disgusts me, unless it’s unkind, violent.” Readers this year will include Festival luminaries Jubi Ariolla-Headley, Maureen Corrigan, Michael Cunningham, Margot Douaihy, Monique Jenkinson, Jacob Storms, and Colm Tóibín, who will share selections from the playwright’s plays, poems, essays, letters, and screenplays. The annual tribute reading is curated by Festival Director Paul J. Willis and Williams editor Thomas Keith (who also hosts).
Sponsored by a generous grant from the New Orleans Theatre Association. 
Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at 6:30 PM; Performance at 7:30 PM.
New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Avenue, $45 or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
7:30 – 8:30 PM—Theatre
LAST BOHEMIA FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
THE SINKING OPULENCE SHOW
Back by popular demand! A Cabaret celebrating the sinking of the ship that we are all aboard! Overheard as the audience was leaving, “Tennessee would have loved this—it’s an explosion POW of camp.” Like the legendary tale of The Titanic band playing as the ill-fated ocean liner sank into history’s depths, Tsarina Hellfire, Stanley Roy, and their motley crew of maritime monsters will titillate your ears and tickle your imagination. It’s the last big hurrah until the inevitable glug-glug! An over-the-top romp of Storyville style live music, theater, burlesque, and a delightful devastation of all of your senses! Brought to you by the producers of New Orleans best night out, the widely successful Les Vampyres Cabaret.
The Twilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Avenue, $35 cocktail table, $20 general admission, or VIP Pass.

Thursday, March 21
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THEATRE COMPANY OF NEW ORLEANS PRESENTS:
KINGDOM OF EARTH BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
TWTC opens its eighth season with the Tennessee Williams thriller, Kingdom Of Earth. A dark, stormy night with the levee soon to burst amplifies the tension of the Ravenstock estate where Lot has returned home for a showdown with his half-brother Chicken. Between these two forces of nature, Myrtle finds herself suspended on a tightrope of desire, desperation, and danger. Will she, or any of the trio, survive the night? And what is there to fight over when the water threatens to wash the world away?
Performance Schedule: Thursday – Saturday, March 21 – 23 at 7:30 PM; Sunday, March 24 at 3 PM.
The Marquette Theatre, Loyola University New Orleans, 6363 St. Charles Avenue. Prices vary. Tickets at www.twtheatrenola.com.

Thursday, March 21
7:30 PM—Theatre
DELGADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATRE DEPARTMENT PRESENTS:
FIVE BY TENN
We travel through five short plays by one of America’s greatest playwrights meeting characters such as Mrs. Hardwicke-Moore, a tenant in a New Orleans cockroach-infested boarding house and a young couple desperately in love trying to put things together, as they fall apart. We are introduced to New Orleans visitors during Mardi Gras in the 1890’s who hear about an encounter with Lord Byron. There is Bertha, a “scarlet lady” who has fallen on hard times, and, finally, Miss Dorothy Simple, proprietor of the Simple Notions Shop in Primandproper, Mass., who has barricaded her house and heart behind a double row of petunias. The five Tennessee Williams one-acts are The Lady of Larkspur Lotion, Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen, Lord Byron’s Love Letter, Hello from Bertha, and The Case of the Crushed Petunias.
Performance Schedule:  Thursday – Saturday, March 21 –  23 at 7:30 PM All curtain times are at 7:30pm. 
Timothy K. Baker Theatre, Delgado Community College, Bldg. 1 Room 106W,  615 City Park Avenue. $12 or VIP Pass. Tickets at https://www.dcc.edu/academics/liberal-arts-social-sciences-education/programs/theatre/plays/default.aspx

Thursday, March 21
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE FIRE WEEDS PRESENTS:
OUTRAGED HEARTS: THE PRETTY TRAP AND INTERIOR: PANIC
Female-driven theatre company, The Fire Weeds, presents their debut production in association with the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. Come discover the rarely produced prototypes for American classics The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire. Co-Directed by Jaclyn Bethany and Lindsey Neville, Outraged Hearts is a powerful, immersive evening featuring two early Tennessee Williams’ one-act plays. Get ready to be captivated by Williams’ unique storytelling and unforgettable characters with an unflinching feminist gaze that promises to be a night of raw emotions and powerful performances. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the magic of Tennessee Williams.
Performance Schedule: Thursday – Friday, March 21 – 22, 7:30 PM; Saturday – Sunday, March 23 – 24, 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM; Tuesday – Friday, March 26 – 29, 7:30 PM; Saturday, March 30, 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM.
Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire Street, $35 adults and $12 for students, or VIP Pass. Tickets at https://outragedhearts.bpt.me/

Thursday, March 21
9 – 10 PM—Theatre
LAST BOHEMIA FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
THIS IS THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM, OR GOOD LUCK GOD
This funny and shocking one-act play, published in 1981, was inspired by a real-life news item from New York City’s borough of Queens, reporting on a four-day nursing strike in the spring of 1978. In Williams’s hysterical—in every sense of the word—farce, the children of some very cranky seniors are forced to take care of their parents. The Peaceable Kingdom of the title is a famous idyllic painting in which born enemies find peace and the lion lies down with the lamb. That doesn’t happen in the Queens nursing home, where the dying are not going gently or even politely. Even so, God appears. Or does God appear? This almost never seen production will be staged with puppets and live actors by the New Orleans Mudlark Public Theatre, directed by Pandora Gastelum.
The Twilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Avenue, $35 cocktail table, $20 general admission, or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
9 AM – 5:15 PM
Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference
Click here for the full day of events – SCHOLARS CONFERENCE
Williams Research Center at The Historic New Orleans Collection, 410 Chartres Street
$10 per session or Scholars Conference Pass or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
10 AM – 12 NOON—Walking Tour
HISTORIC STORYVILLE WALKING TOUR
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. 
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21 and Saturday, March 23, 10 AM – 12 NOON
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
10 – 11:15 AM—Writer’s Craft Session
THE DUAL GAZE: WRITING FICTION INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS–WENDY CHIN-TANNER
Do you have a piece of family lore that haunts you? Are you obsessed with a particular place and time? Did something happen in real life that you just can’t get out of your head? Led by Wendy Chin-Tanner, author of the novel King of the Armadillos, this craft session will examine some of the elements of writing fiction inspired by true events. Focusing on research and its methods, purpose, implementation, and challenges, we’ll explore how to balance fact and fiction to create a compelling, page-turning narrative. “Research is formalized curiosity,” writes Zora Neale Hurston. “It is poking and prying with a purpose.” This sentiment will be our touchstone for discussing: How to find the story inside the history; how to become a story detective, zeroing in on what your reader needs to know; how to let gossip (or the concept of it) be your guide; how to avoid info dumping; how to conduct detailed research; how to keep your research lean and mean so you don’t waste time, get overwhelmed, or otherwise drive yourself nuts. Topics will also include creative license, ethics, authenticity, conflict, urgency, narrative arcs, stakes, and more. We’ll do some writing exercises, workshop some ideas, and troubleshoot any issues you might have. No matter where you are with your work-in-progress, our goal is for you to gain a clearer sense of what’s at the heart of your story and how to research it with purpose. 
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
10 – 11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
A TRUMAN CAPOTE READING AND DISCUSSION
Celebrating the 100th year of Southern writer Truman Capote’s birth with readings, discussion, and stories are moderator and Capote scholar, Stuart Noel, Ph.D., who founded and chairs the Truman Capote Literary Society; actress Brenda Currin, who portrayed Nancy Clutter in Capote’s In Cold Blood; Anna Christina (Tina) Radziwill, daughter of the late Prince Stanislas Radziwill of Poland and Lee Bouvier Radziwill, sister of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Tina’s mother and Truman Capote were close friends for many years; and Gary Richards, Southern literature scholar.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
10 – 11:15 AM–Literary Discussion
TENNESSEE 101 WITH AUGUSTIN J CORRERO
Tennessee 101 is a fast-paced, fun, and informative introduction to Tennessee Williams! It’s focused on Williams’ unique relationship to New Orleans, as well as the various bits of trivia and lore relating to the theatre offerings at the Festival this year. Whether you’re new to the world of Williams or a long-time fan, come prepared to learn something. Presented by Augustin J Correro, Co-Artistic Director of The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans. There’s a Q&A session at the end, and be sure to get your copy of Tennessee Williams 101 for a brief signing to follow.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon D, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
FACT AND FICTION WITH COLM TÓIBÍN
How history, biography and journalism, or an overheard remark, or a story half told, or an experience, can make their way into fiction, and how life can be completed using fictional methods, with special attention to Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw and Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. With these two stories, we have evidence (from James’s Notebooks and from Katia Mann’s memoirs) about the origin of the stories. We can then study the story, learning how the authors made use of facts to create their fiction and how the imagination was nourished by fact, by anecdote, and by experience that were then transformed as the work progressed.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
11:30 – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
VOICES FROM THE PAST: HEARING OUR ANCESTORS IN THE PRESENT
Whether as editors, translators, or anthologists, writers are often called to steward the works of their predecessors alongside creating their own work. Poet Benjamin Morris will moderate a panel exploring the challenges of shepherding books from the past into the present: fiction writer Kayla Min Andrews edited her late mother Katherine Min’s novel The Fetishist, now published posthumously. Poet and professor Ariel Francisco has a forthcoming translation of Haitian poet Jacques Viau Renaud, killed at age 23 in the Dominican Revolution. And Gina Ferrara has recently revived the New Orleans Poetry Journal Press, first founded by Maxine Cassin decades ago, with a new anthology of 100 contemporary New Orleans poets. Each of these writers will discuss how they brought these voices to modern ears, and what literary citizenship means for writer and reader today.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
EXPLORING BLANCHE DUBOIS AND THE WOMEN OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
This panel will explore contemporary Williams and discuss interpretations of his most inspired creation, Blanche DuBois and his adjacent women. A panel of writers and performers will discuss the significance and complexities of his female characters and the female gaze on Williams’ work. The panel will be moderated by Jaclyn Bethany, writer, director, actor and rising Williams scholar, and will include panelists Beth Bartley d’Amour, who has played Blanche as well as numerous Williams women; Lin Gathright, actress and co-artistic director (with Bethany) of New Orleans’ new female focused theater company, The Fire Weeds; LaKesha Glover, actor, producer, and creator of the production company, Tootsie’s Production; Nancy Shoenberger, author of Blanche: The Life and Times of Tennessee Williams’s Greatest Creation; and Judy Lea Steele, interdisciplinary actress, playwright, poet and performance artist.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
1 – 3 PM—Walking Tour
HISTORY OF QUEER NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS TOUR
A 2-hour deep dive into the joy, heartbreak, and history of the New Orleans Queer Underground from the 1850s to the present. Follow the stories of sex worker street gangs, drag queens working for the mafia, jazz artists, and the queer community of today to discover the ways the queer underbelly of New Orleans has shaped the history of the entire world. With over 900 five star reviews, calling the tour “hilarious,” “deeply researched,” and “a life changing experience,” the tour restores New Orleans to its rightful place in Queer History as one of the most dynamic cultures shaping what it even means to be queer. All tours are led by artist, community organizer, and alleged spirit medium Quinn L Bishop. Total tour walking distance is just under 2 miles.
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21, and Saturday – Sunday, March 23 – 24, 1 – 3 PM
Crossing Bar, 439 Dauphine Street, $35 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
1:30 – 2:45 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
CHARACTER:  FINDING THE MISSING PERSONS–MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM
What I hear most often from students is that they have trouble with plot.  My response always is, I suspect what you’re telling me is, you’re having trouble with character. Because fully-imagined characters always produce a story. Usually more than one story. Usually more than two. In this session, we’ll build a character together. Then we’ll build a second character. Then we’ll look at their various qualities—ranging from their ages and occupations to their desires and fears—and find the stories. The stories are always there.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
2 – 4 PM—Walking Tour
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR
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, worked, and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. 
Other dates include: Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24, 10 AM – Noon and 2 – 4 PM
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
2:30 – 3:45 PM—Literary Discussion
WRITERS OF A CERTAIN AGE
Being published is hardly a young person’s game, but that’s the perception the world has of writers. How many “under 30/40” lists are there? The implicit assumption is that those who haven’t already made it by the time they’ve hit 50 are never going to get published. This is, of course, absurd, as many brilliant, successful writers have proven! Working in the youth-obsessed world of publishing as writers born in or before the Ford administration, these panelists have experience proving the world wrong. Learn about the challenges, successes and strategies as writers of a certain age. Miles Harvey moderates this discussion with Jubi Arriola-Headley, Teresa Tumminello Brader, Chin-Sun Lee, and Rose Norman.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
3:00 – 4:15 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
POETRY AND TALKING THINGS WITH STEPHANIE BURT 
Who speaks a poem? Is it the poet? Is it the reader? What if it’s a window, or a Muppet, or a giant toad? We’ll look at the history of poems in the voices of characters who do not exist in our world, of animals that can’t talk, and of inanimate objects, going back to ancient Greece and forward to today’s farrago of robots, mutants, and self-portraits as many things. We’ll ask why poets draw on this resource, long ago and today. And we’ll find out—if we can—what’s queer about this kind of poetry, what’s contemporary about it, and how it speaks to the kinds of persons that you—yes, you—might be, or hope to become.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $25 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
3:30 – 5 PM—Walking Tour
LGBTQ+ FRENCH QUARTER TOUR
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 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 four books about French Quarter history.
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21, 11 AM – 12:30 PM and Sunday, March 24, 1 – 2:30 PM.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
4 – 5:15 PM—Featured Conversation
MAUREEN CORRIGAN, MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM, AND JUSTIN TORRES
The distinguished critic Maureen Corrigan of Fresh Air and the “Book World” section of The Washington Post talks with two award-winning American novelists: Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize winner for The Hours, and Justin Torres, National Book Award winner for Blackouts. Both have new books out—Cunningham’s Day is a heartbreaking look at the pandemic years, and Torres’ Blackouts is about the search for a mysterious book. Both of these writers achieved early acclaim, both have had works adapted for film, and all are teachers—Corrigan at Georgetown, Cunningham at Yale, and Torres at UCLA. Join us for what is sure to be a scintillating conversation about the way American literature is being shaped by their many contributions.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM–Special Event
PRESENTATION OF THE DIANA PINCKLEY PRIZES FOR CRIME FICTION
The Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction were established in 2012 for women writers to honor the memory of Diana Pinckley (1952-2012), a longtime crime fiction columnist for The New Orleans Times-Picayune, and her passion for mysteries. After a brief hiatus (COVID, Hurricane Ida), the Prizes return this year with a presentation ceremony and reception. This event honors the 2022 winner, Sascha Rothchild, author of the debut novel, Blood Sugar; the 2023 winner Margot Douaihy, author of Scorched Grace. Alafair Burke, the winner for the Distinguished Body of Work Prize, is unable to attend.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, free and open to the public.

Friday, March 22
5:45 – 7:15 PM—Walking Tour
FRENCH QUARTER GHOSTS AND LEGENDS TOUR
Join acclaimed local author and storyteller Ariadne Blayde for an immersive twilight walk exploring the dark local history and lore of the historic French Quarter, considered one of the most haunted districts in America. Learn about true crime, yellow fever, pirates, ghosts, and the city’s fascinating colonial history through visits to the Quarter’s most haunted places, including the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, the historic Mississippi riverfront, New Orleans’ oldest and most haunted bar, and more. Feel free to bring a drink!
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21, 5:45 – 7:15 PM; Saturday, March 23, 8:30 – 10:00 PM; Sunday, March 24, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
622 Pirates Alley, meet outside Pirates Alley Cafe & Old Absinthe House, next to the Cathedral. $30 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
7:30 – 8:30 PM—Theatre
LAST BOHEMIA FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
THE SINKING OPULENCE SHOW
Includes a talkback led by Fauxnique.
See above for full description.
The Twilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Avenue, $35 cocktail table, $20 general admission, or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THEATRE COMPANY OF NEW ORLEANS PRESENTS:
KINGDOM OF EARTH BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
See above for full description.
The Marquette Theatre, Loyola University New Orleans, 6363 St. Charles Avenue. Tickets at www.twtheatrenola.com.

Friday, March 22
7:30 PM—Theatre
DELGADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATRE DEPARTMENT PRESENTS:
FIVE BY TENN
See above for full description.
Tickets at https://www.dcc.edu/academics/liberal-arts-social-sciences-education/programs/theatre/plays/default.aspx
Timothy K. Baker Theatre, Delgado Community College, Bldg. 1 Room 106W,  615 City Park Avenue. $12 or VIP Pass.

Friday, March 22
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE FIRE WEEDS PRESENTS:
OUTRAGED HEARTS: THE PRETTY TRAP AND INTERIOR: PANIC
See above for full description.
Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire Street, $35 adults and $12 for students, or VIP Pass. Tickets at https://outragedhearts.bpt.me/

Friday, March 22
9 PM—Theatre
LAST BOHEMIA FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
THIS IS THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM, OR GOOD LUCK GOD
Includes a talkback led by David Kaplan.
See above for full description.
The Twilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Avenue, $35 cocktail table, $20 general admission, or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
8:30 – 9:45 AM—Special Event
BOOKS AND BEIGNETS WITH GARY RICHARDS
This year’s focus shifts to beloved fiction writer Eudora Welty (1909-2001). A native of Jackson, Mississippi, she explored the US South in novels such as Delta Wedding, Losing Battles, and The Optimist’s Daughter, but scholars and readers alike often feel that her most brilliant work was with her short stories. The group will sample a half-dozen of these to get a taste for Welty’s sly humor, exquisite style, and impressive range: “Lily Daw and the Three Ladies,” “Why I Live at the P.O.,” “A Curtain of Green,” “Powerhouse,” “Moon Lake,” and “No Place for You, My Love,” the last of which is set in New Orleans and the coastal areas of southeastern Louisiana. They are available in The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty (ISBN: 978-1328625649).
3rd Block Depot Kitchen + Bar, 316 Chartres Street, $35 or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
10 – 11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
FROM THE WRITING ROOM TO THE THEATER: ADAPTING BOOK TO SCREEN
What’s it like to see your book make it to the screen as a film or television series? How do writers navigate the world of film? Our panelists include Sascha Rothchild, author of Blood Sugar and an Emmy-nominated screenwriter who has worked on GLOW, The Bold Type, The BabySitters Club, and The Carrie Diaries. She also adapted her article “How to Get Divorced by 30,” into a screenplay for Universal Studios. You can see Sidney Thompson’s Bass Reeves Trilogy of western novels as a series now airing on Paramount. Justin Torres’ award-winning debut novel, We the Animals, became a feature-length film. M.O. Walsh’s charming The Big Door Prize, became a mini-series for Apple TV, heading into its second season this April. Clint Bowie of the New Orleans Film Society moderates the discussion.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
10 – 11:15 AM–Literary Discussion
GREAT STORIES FROM NEW ORLEANS INSTITUTIONS
Every city with a long history has stewards who care for its treasures, whether they be institutions or ideas. In The Building of the National World War II Museum, founder and president Gordon “Nick” Mueller describes the inception and growth of what has become the city’s leading museum. Robert Becker, in New Orleans City Park: From Tragedy to Triumph, chronicles his 20-year tenure as CEO of City Park and the hard work of staff and volunteers to bring the park through Katrina and COVID and insure its financial security. Journalist and historian Errol Laborde celebrates unique New Orleans moments in New Orleans cultural history in When Rex Met Zulu. Documentarian Peggy Scott Laborde, whose most recent work is Literary New Orleans, moderates.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
10 – 11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
PARABLES OF A WORLD CORRUPTED—POLITICS IN THE PLAYS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
In a 1967 interview, when Tennessee Williams was asked if he ever wrote directly about the struggle for civil rights or about the American war in Viet Nam, he replied, “I am not a direct writer, I am always an oblique writer, if I can be; I want to be allusive, I don’t want to be one of those people who hits the nail on the head all the time.” The playwright’s answer reinforced a longstanding idea that Williams was not a political writer when, in fact, politics are woven into the fabric of everything he wrote—often quite directly! This panel will examine some of Williams’ politics both onstage and off, looking at the most overt examples of politics in plays such as Camino Real, Sweet Bird of Youth, Orpheus Descending, and The Red Devil Battery Sign, as well as the powerful ways in which politics surround and support narratives in his other plays. At times the indirect approach can be an even more potent way to reach an audience and is found in plays as divergent as The Glass Menagerie, Stairs to the Roof, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Green Eyes. The panelists will include Thomas Keith, Tom Mitchell, and Bess Rowen. Benjamin Gillespie will moderate. 
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
10 AM – NOON—Walking Tour
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR
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, worked, and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. 
Other dates include: Friday, March 22, 2 – 4 PM, Saturday, March 23, 2 – 4 PM, and Sunday, March 24, 10 AM – Noon and 2 – 4 PM
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
11:30 – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
MAKING AN ENTRANCE: NEW FICTION VOICES WITH STYLE
Readers love finding a new writer who has a fresh and exciting style or captivating point of view, and we’re excited to welcome these new voices in fiction. Novelist and poet Chin-Sun Lee’s first book, Upcountry, about a couple who moves from New York City to a small country town, with all the social change that that implies, was listed among Publishers Weekly‘s Big Indie Books of Fall 2023. Annell Lopez‘s debut short story collection, I’ll Give You a Reason, about the lives of immigrants in New Jersey, is the winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize from the Feminist Press Award, and will appear in April. Jess Armstrong is the author of The Curse of Penryth Hall, the winner of the Mystery Writers of America/ Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition. Julia Malye takes readers back to the French colonial Gulf Coast in The Pelican Girls, a novel about strong women based in historical reality. Nick Medina, a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, weaves tribal myths into the contemporary world of crime and casinos in Sisters of the Lost Nation and Indian Burial Ground. Moderated by New Orleans writer, C. Morgan Babst, author of The Floating World.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
11:30 – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
THE OTHER SIDE OF DESIRE:  TENNESSEE WILLIAMS ON LIFE, LOVE, AND DEATH
When Blanche DuBois arrives in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the first scene of A Streetcar Named Desire, she tells Eunice, “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at—Elysian Fields!” So, from the very beginning of the play, we are reminded that death and desire have a symbiotic relationship. Whether dramas, comedies, full-length, or one-acts, death is present in all of Williams’ plays, both onstage and off, and so is life. For Williams, sexual desire is part of the life force, the urge to live, and so a counterbalance to the inevitability of death. This panel will explore the many ways Williams deals with death and life in his work. Scenes and characters that will be examined come from plays including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Rose Tattoo, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, Vieux Carré, A House Not Meant to Stand, Kingdom of Earth, I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow, The Mutilated, The Day on Which a Man Dies, and Something Cloudy, Something Clear, to name just a few. Panelists include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Pope, Augustin J Correro, Margit Longbrake, and Annette Saddik, moderated by Thomas Keith.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion 
WRITING SOUTHERN GOTHIC IN MODERN NEW ORLEANS 
Exploring themes such as religious intensity, moral disorder, ancestral homes in resplendent decay, systemic racism, endemic poverty, and the encroachment of the supernatural on everyday life, William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams, and Carson McCullers pioneered this often romanticized and occasionally parodied genre into the American consciousness in the early 20th-century. Now, in the 21st, writers like Jesmyn Ward, Karen Russell, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Toni Morrison have dynamically furthered those first explorations, in many instances reinventing them entirely. This mixed-genre panel of fiction writers, essayists, and poets will seek to unearth Southern Gothic then and now, posing such questions as: Where do we find ourselves on the so-called pantheon of early-to-mid 20th-century Southern Gothic writers? What does it mean to write Southern Gothic in the most Gothic city in America? At what point does Southern Gothic go from being an exploration of a society in decay to a fetishization of that same decay? How do we expand our definitions of Southern Gothic to take in the “Global South,” to include Latin American and Caribbean works of Southern Gothic, as well? How have the objects of social critique in Southern Gothic literature (racism, classism, evangelicalism, feudalism, criminality) shifted over time, illuminating new corners of a region in freefall? Come get a little creepy—but a little thoughtful, too—with panelists Anya Groner, Carolyn Hembree, Alex Jennings, and Adrian Van Young, moderated by Brad Richard. 
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
1 – 2:15 PM—Featured Conversation
SEEING OUR HISTORY ON THE PAGE
Historian, author and journalist Errol Laborde, whose most recent book is When Rex Met Zulu and Other New Orleans Experiences, and John Lawrence, former director of Museum Programs and Curator of Photographs at the Historic New Orleans Collection, engage in a wide-ranging discussion based on John’s book, Louisiana Lens: Photographs from the Historic New Orleans Collection (2023), touching on historical topics, the nature of photography, building a photographic collection for research use, photographers working in Louisiana, and “reading” photographs in ways that transcend their content.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
1 – 3 PM—Walking Tour
HISTORY OF QUEER NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS TOUR
A 2-hour deep dive into the joy, heartbreak, and history of the New Orleans Queer Underground from the 1850s to the present. Follow the stories of sex worker street gangs, drag queens working for the mafia, jazz artists, and the queer community of today to discover the ways the queer underbelly of New Orleans has shaped the history of the entire world. With over 900 five star reviews, calling the tour “hilarious,” “deeply researched,” and “a life changing experience,” the tour restores New Orleans to its rightful place in Queer History as one of the most dynamic cultures shaping what it even means to be queer. All tours are led by artist, community organizer, and alleged spirit medium Quinn L Bishop. Total tour walking distance is just under 2 miles.
Other dates include: Thursday – Friday, March 21 – 22, and Sunday, March 24, 1 – 3 PM
Crossing Bar, 439 Dauphine Street, $35 or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
2 – 4 PM—Walking Tour
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR
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, worked, and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. 
Other dates include: Friday, March 22, 2 – 4 PM, Saturday, March 23, 10 AM – Noon, and Sunday, March 24, 10 AM – Noon and 2 – 4 PM
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
2:30 – 3:45—Literary Discussion
HISTORY IS MY MUSE: FINDING PRESENT INSPIRATION IN THE PAST
History is a gold mine for the discerning writer, prospecting for nuggets from the distant—or recent—past in archives and the historical record. Fordham University professor Edward Cahill takes us back to the pre-Stonewall era in Disorderly Men, a story of a police raid on a gay bar and its complicated consequences. Julia Malye tells a tale of resourceful women, “volunteers” shipped from France to the Louisiana Territory, in Pelican Girls. Louisiana State University professor and author Maurice Carlos Ruffin imagines what his female ancestors would have done to resist the Confederacy in the antebellum era in The American Daughters. Wendy Chin-Tanner draws on her father’s experience as a patient in what was then known as the leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana, for her first novel, King of the Armadillos. And Colm Toíbín has crafted many novels—Brooklyn and the forthcoming Long Island among them—from the rich history of Ireland and New York. Miles Harvey, author of The King of Confidence moderates.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
2:30 – 3:45—Film and Discussion
LITERARY NEW ORLEANS
The city of New Orleans has served as a setting for many of the world’s most famous literary works, including A Streetcar Named Desire, Interview with the Vampire and A Confederacy of Dunces.This documentary  takes an up-close look at the locally written word over a more than three-century history. Included are interviews with Anne Rice, Tennessee Williams and Thelma Toole, the mother of John Kennedy Toole. Among the authors and literary experts interviewed are Edwin Blair, Douglas Brinkley, Nancy Dixon, Rien Fertel, Dr. Kenneth Holditch, Walter Isaacson, Susan Larson, T. R. Johnson, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy and Kalamu Ya Salaam. Produced and narrated by Peggy Scott Laborde, who will be on hand for a brief discussion following the showing of the program.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
2:30 PM—Theatre
THE FIRE WEEDS PRESENTS:
OUTRAGED HEARTS: THE PRETTY TRAP AND INTERIOR: PANIC
See above for full description.
Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire Street, $35 adults and $12 for students, or VIP Pass. Tickets at https://outragedhearts.bpt.me/

Saturday, March 23
4 – 5:15 PM—Literary Discussion
LEGENDS OF BURLESQUE
Over the last century, vaudeville’s naughtier cousin, burlesque, has become a truly American art form, full of irreverence and dynamism. Though considered a sultry and bawdy form of entertainment, by the 1950s it was practically mainstream, especially in New Orleans with its main entertainment strip lined with nightclubs featuring both national and local dancers. Through memoirs and interviews, Historic New Orleans Collection curator Nina Bozak remembers some of these dancers in their own words from memoirs and interviews and through images of their signature acts. Hear about Blaze Starr’s first time on stage as a stripper, the lesson Kalantan learned from Lili St. Cyr, and the connection between Rita Alexander and New Orleans legendary drummer Smokey Johnson. See a photographic series of Stormy Lawrence’s signature number and watch Sally Rand’s famous Bubble Dance. And be titillated by a special performance by one of New Orleans’s current burlesque legends, Bella Blue!
This event is sponsored by The Ethel and Herman L. Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
4—5:15 PM—Featured Conversation
MAUREEN CORRIGAN AND COLM TÓIBÍN
Maureen Corrigan, the beloved and influential book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air and author of Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading and And So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures, appears in conversation with the prolific and award-winning author, Colm Toíbín, known for The Master, The Magician, The Blackwater Lightship, Brooklyn, Nora Webster, and many other novels and works of nonfiction. Imagine two Irish storytellers, sharing a Catholic background and a love of New York and fine literature, settling in for a long chat.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
7 – 8:30 PM—Theatre
MENDACITY: ACT 2 OF CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
Three-time Emmy winner Christian Jules le Blanc (The Young and the Restless) and actor/producer Matt de Rogatis, of Ruth Stage, reprise their critically acclaimed Off Broadway roles of “Big Daddy” and “Brick” in this one of a kind experience! le Blanc and de Rogatis will perform an edited version of Act 2 of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof from their 2022 New York City production. Afterwards, the two actors will participate in a talkback about bringing this Pulitzer Prize-winning play to the Off Broadway stage. Afterwards, David Kaplan, curator/cofounder of the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, will moderate a talkback with the actors. 
“There is only one aristocracy. The aristocracy of passion.” —Tennessee Williams
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $20 or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
7 – 8:30 PM—Theatre
THE LAST BOHEMIA FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
TENNESSEE RISING: THE DAWN OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
Tennessee Rising: The Dawn of Tennessee Williams, a solo play written and performed by Jacob Storms and originally directed for the stage by Alan Cumming, explores the formative period from 1939 – 1945 in which an unknown writer named Tom becomes the acclaimed playwright known as Tennessee, wherein his most iconic character emerges: himself. 
Includes a talkback with Jacob Storms led by Augustin J Correro.
The Twilight Room, 2240 St. Claude Avenue, $35 cocktail table, $20 general admission, or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THEATRE COMPANY OF NEW ORLEANS PRESENTS:
KINGDOM OF EARTH BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
See above for full description.
The Marquette Theatre, Loyola University New Orleans, 6363 St. Charles Avenue. Tickets at www.twtheatrenola.com.

Saturday, March 23
7:30 PM—Theatre
DELGADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATRE DEPARTMENT PRESENTS:
FIVE BY TENN
See above for full description.
Tickets at https://www.dcc.edu/academics/liberal-arts-social-sciences-education/programs/theatre/plays/default.aspx
Timothy K. Baker Theatre, Delgado Community College, Bldg. 1 Room 106W,  615 City Park Avenue. $12 or VIP Pass.

Saturday, March 23
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE FIRE WEEDS PRESENTS:
OUTRAGED HEARTS: THE PRETTY TRAP AND INTERIOR: PANIC
See above for full description.
Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire Street, $35 adults and $12 for students, or VIP Pass.  Tickets at https://outragedhearts.bpt.me/

Saturday, March 23
8:30 PM Doors
10 PM Show
THE LAST BOHEMIA FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
THE LAST BOHEMIA SOIREE, INCLUDING A PERFORMANCE OF NIGHTINGALE 
A magical evening of music and performance hosted by Tony award winner John Cameron Mitchell in the ballroom of his splendid Bywater home, known as The Temple. Rub elbows with fellow festival goers and a who’s who of NOLA creatives set to a concert by San Francisco sarod master Kenny Annis. Then enjoy a seated performance of Vinsantos‘ Nightingale followed by a talkback moderated by John Cameron Mitchell.  
The Temple Ballroom, Preferred Seating $70, general seating $40.

Saturday, March 23
8:30 – 10:00 PM—Walking Tour
FRENCH QUARTER GHOSTS AND LEGENDS TOUR
Join acclaimed local author and storyteller Ariadne Blayde for an immersive twilight walk exploring the dark local history and lore of the historic French Quarter, considered one of the most haunted districts in America. Learn about true crime, yellow fever, pirates, ghosts, and the city’s fascinating colonial history through visits to the Quarter’s most haunted places, including the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, the historic Mississippi riverfront, New Orleans’ oldest and most haunted bar, and more. Feel free to bring a drink!
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21, 5:45 – 7:15 PM; Friday, March 22, 5:45 – 7:15 PM; Sunday, March 24, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
622 Pirates Alley, meet outside Pirates Alley Cafe & Old Absinthe House, next to the Cathedral. $30 or VIP Pass.

 

Sunday, March 24
9 AM—Special Event
THE NEW ORLEANS WRITING MARATHON
Jumpstart your writing with the New Orleans Writing Marathon! Hosted by founder Richard Louth, participants write their way across the French Quarter in cafés, pubs, bookstores, and anywhere a small group of writers can sit, write, and share their work. It’s all about writing in the moment, writing for the joy of it, and finding inspiration in one’s place. We start at the Hotel Monteleone before going out to explore the French Quarter as writers. You can end your writing marathon at whatever time best fits your schedule.
 For more information, visit www.writingmarathon.com and for questions, contact the NOWM at info@writingmarathon.com.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, free and open to the public but please register at www.writingmarathon.com.

Sunday, March 24
10 – 11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
CREATING THE WRITER’S CITY
In a discussion sparked by his book, New Orleans: The Writer’s City, scholar T.R. Johnson shares his particular vision of a complicated literary landscape. Novelist Maurice Carlos Ruffin has envisioned a New Orleans of the future in his first book, a contemporary city in his second, and in his third, The American Daughters, he paints an unforgettable portrait of the antebellum world here. Moira Crone’s vision of the drowned city in The Not-Yet is so persuasive that architecture students have been inspired to create models of it. And poet Skye Jackson, who studied at UNO, is a leading light of the new generation of writers. Novelist George Bishop moderates.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom. $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
10 AM – Noon—Walking Tour
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR
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, worked, and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. 
Other dates include: Friday, March 22, 2 – 4 PM, Saturday, March 23, 10 AM – Noon, and Sunday, March 24, 2 – 4 PM
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
11 AM – 12:15 PM—Theatre 
THE NOLA PROJECT PRESENTS TENNESSEE X THREE
A Staged Reading of Three Tennessee Williams One-Acts
Auto Da Fé
This 1941 short play tells the story of a sexually repressed Eloi, a young postal worker in early 20th-century New Orleans. Eloi lives with his overbearing mother in her boarding house. He is confronted with the depravity and sin of New Orleans. This frustration ends in an attack on a female boarder in the cottage and the eventual burning of the cottage, his mother, and the female boarder.
In Our Profession
Annabel, an actress, wants to be looked at as more than just her looks and her profession, but the gentlemen pursuing her, Richard and Paul, don’t seem to want to let her.
Every Twenty Minutes
After a late party, an unnamed couple is relaxing in their upscale city apartment by sniping at each other, still dressed in black ties. He’s arguably more committed to the decanter and glass at his side than he is to anything his wife says. This is especially true when she shares a shocking statistic she just read in the paper. Though he is unimpressed by the news, her outlook on life is completely altered.
Hotel Monteleone, Vieux Carré Room, $20 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Music
Drummer & Smoke Music Series: 
JOHN BOUTTÉ
On Sundays as the red beans were soaking for Monday’s dinner, John Boutté was awakened by the sounds of his New Orleans neighborhood. Voices carried over the fence from the church behind his home in the Seventh Ward, the home where he grew up, where most of his Creole family still lives and sings. Past the front yard, second-line parades rolled by, matching the madness of Carnival season and the transcendent joy of the jazz funeral. This roux of influences created John Boutté, and serves him to this day. John played coronet and trumpet in marching bands and also sang in high school, then continued to hone his talent while an officer in the U.S. Army. After that he devoted himself to what has become a long and acclaimed musical career. John will be joined by Oscar Rossignoli and Nobumasa Ozaki on bass.
Palm Court Jazz Café, 1204 Decatur Street, $10 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
11:30 – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
OTHERWORLDLY FICTION
The skill of world building is essential to fine fiction, inviting the reader to enter the author’s fully created world. Ariadne Blayde enters into the world of French Quarter ghost tours to give us a New Orleans we’ve only glimpsed before. Tara Lynn Masih takes us to the boundaries of nature and place, known for her skill in flash fiction, and Nick Medina explores the intersection of indigenous crime fiction/horror and the tensions between the life of reservation community and the burgeoning casino culture. David Slayton writes the sorts of books he always hoped to read, fantasies of warlocks and druids. All of these writers are skilled in the uses of imagination and atmosphere. Moderated by author Adrian Van Young.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom. $25 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
11:30 – 12:45—Literary Discussion
WHY THE ART OF IMPROV ENDURES
Improv scholar Randy Fertel, author of A Taste for Chaos: The Art of Literary Improvisation and Winging It: Improv’s Power and Peril in the Time of Trump, talks with literary scholar T.R. Johnson, author of New Orleans: A Writer’s City, about the ongoing relevance of improvisation in the larger culture. Seen through Fertel’s discerning eye, improv is everywhere—from the  music of Louis Armstrong to the smash musical Hamilton, the rise of AI, and the off-the-cuff, unmediated remarks of Donald Trump, whom Fertel calls the Improviser-in-Chief. He uses neuroscience, bioevolution, and cultural texts to illuminate his subject. Johnson, who writes about the complex interactions between writers and place, adds his thoughts about improvisation in New Orleans literature.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon. $10 or Lit Pass or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
DEFINING CHARACTER: THREE UNORTHODOX BIOGRAPHIES
How does a biographer present the facts of a life and also capture the atmosphere, the impact on culture, and perhaps even some of the magic left behind by their subject? Three writers present a trio of expertly researched life stories that transcend typical biography. In Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring, author Brad Gooch chronicles the emblematic artist of 80s-era New York whose renegade art inspired radical social change. Cynthia Carr profiles Warhol superstar and transgender icon Candy Darling in a new groundbreaking biography. Nancy Schoenberger gives one of Tennessee Williams’ most complex creations, Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar Named Desire, a thorough psychological examination in a multifaceted study of the fictional figure. Moderated by David Johnson.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom. $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
1 – 2:15  PM—Literary Discussion
NEW VISTAS, GRAND OUTLOOKS: RENDERING THE LANDSCAPE IN POETRY
This panel will feature poets Carolyn Hembree, Rodney Jones, Christine Kwon, Alison Pelegrin and Gina Ferrara (moderator) discussing ways that landscapes inform their work and sharing poems from their latest collections.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon. $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
1:00 – 2:15 PM—Music
Drummer & Smoke Music Series:
AMANDA SHAW
Energetic Louisiana fiddler Amanda Shaw blazes trails with her clever songwriting and exciting performances. With over 20 years of experience, Shaw captivates audiences of all sizes – from intimate listening rooms to national television audiences. Shaw blends authentic Cajun culture with endearing local charm, delivering shows that burst with Louisiana flavor. 
Palm Court Jazz Café, 1204 Decatur Street, $10 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
1 – 2:30 PM—Walking Tour
LGBTQ+ FRENCH QUARTER TOUR
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 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 four books about French Quarter history.
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21, 11 AM – 12:30 PM and Friday, March 22, 3:30 – 5 PM.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
1 – 3 PM—Walking Tour
HISTORY OF QUEER NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS TOUR
A 2-hour deep dive into the joy, heartbreak, and history of the New Orleans Queer Underground from the 1850s to the present. Follow the stories of sex worker street gangs, drag queens working for the mafia, jazz artists, and the queer community of today to discover the ways the queer underbelly of New Orleans has shaped the history of the entire world. With over 900 five star reviews, calling the tour “hilarious,” “deeply researched,” and “a life changing experience,” the tour restores New Orleans to its rightful place in Queer History as one of the most dynamic cultures shaping what it even means to be queer. All tours are led by artist, community organizer, and alleged spirit medium Quinn L Bishop. Total tour walking distance is just under 2 miles.
Other dates include: Thursday – Saturday, March 21 – March 23, 1 – 3 PM
Crossing Bar, 439 Dauphine Street, $35 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
2 – 4 PM—Walking Tour
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR
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, worked, and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. 
Other dates include: Friday, March 22, 2 – 4 PM, Saturday, March 23, 10 AM – Noon, and Sunday, March 24, 10 AM – Noon.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $30 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM—Music
Drummer & Smoke Music Series: 
DOYLE COOPER JAZZ BAND
Raised in a musical family, it was always a matter of what Doyle Cooper would play, not if he would play, and he began playing trumpet at the age of 10. He was immersed in Traditional Jazz since his grandfather and mother both performed for years. From New Orleans, Doyle is dedicated to traditional jazz that has shaped the culture of his hometown. Doyle, or “Red” as he is known by most, has studied and performed with many world renowned Jazz musicians. Doyle graduated from the Jazz Studies program at NOCCA and Loyola University. He was awarded the Grand Prize in the “Seeking Satch” competition. 
Palm Court Jazz Café, 1204 Decatur Street, $10 or VIP Pass.

Sunday, March 24
2:30 – 3:45 PM—Special Event
FESTIVAL CLOSING EVENT: A CELEBRATION OF WRITERS
Our 2024 closing event celebrates writers who are award-winning and accomplished, alongside some up-and-coming writers to watch. We’ll begin with a poetry reading by our new Louisiana Poet Laureate, Alison Pelegrin. Also included are readings by our writing contest winners and judges, including our Very Short Fiction Judge, Tara Lynn Masih, and a staged reading of the winning one-act play, directed by David Hoover. We’ll also feature readings from local community writing groups who support and promote emerging writers by hosting writing marathons, readings, submission happy hours, and free writing workshops.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, Free and open to the public.

Sunday, March 24
2:30 PM—Theatre
THE FIRE WEEDS PRESENTS:
OUTRAGED HEARTS: THE PRETTY TRAP AND INTERIOR: PANIC
See above for full description.
Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire Street, $35 adults and $12 for students, or VIP Pass.  Tickets at https://outragedhearts.bpt.me/

Sunday, March 24
3 PM—Theatre
THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THEATRE COMPANY OF NEW ORLEANS PRESENTS:
KINGDOM OF EARTH BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
See above for full description.
The Marquette Theatre, Loyola University New Orleans, 6363 St. Charles Avenue. Tickets at www.twtheatrenola.com.

Sunday, March 24
7:30 PM—Theatre
THE FIRE WEEDS PRESENTS:
OUTRAGED HEARTS: THE PRETTY TRAP AND INTERIOR: PANIC
See above for full description.
Big Couch New Orleans, 1045 Desire Street, $35 adults and $12 for students, or VIP Pass. Tickets at https://outragedhearts.bpt.me/

Sunday, March 24
5:30 – 7:00 PM—Walking Tour
FRENCH QUARTER GHOSTS AND LEGENDS TOUR
Join acclaimed local author and storyteller Ariadne Blayde for an immersive twilight walk exploring the dark local history and lore of the historic French Quarter, considered one of the most haunted districts in America. Learn about true crime, yellow fever, pirates, ghosts, and the city’s fascinating colonial history through visits to the Quarter’s most haunted places, including the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, the historic Mississippi riverfront, New Orleans’ oldest and most haunted bar, and more. Feel free to bring a drink!
Other dates include: Thursday, March 21, 5:45 – 7:15 PM; Friday, March 22, 5:45 – 7:15 PM; Saturday, March 23, 8:30 – 10:00 PM.
622 Pirates Alley, meet outside Pirates Alley Cafe & Old Absinthe House, next to the Cathedral. $30 or VIP Pass.