The Last Bohemia Fringe Festival

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 moderated by Augustin J Correro.

8:30 PM Doors |  10 PM Show

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.  

Nightingale is a hauntingly nostalgic semi-biographical concept musical that revolves around the blurred  life of Vinsantos, a multi-talented and enigmatic real life performer and Tennessee Williams’ Nightingale the callow youth turned callous tubercular painter. Set in an eclectic Bohemian and Art Nouveau backdrop, the audience follows Vinsantos on a journey of self-discovery, exploring the challenges and triumphs of a unique and unconventional career in the arts. As the titular character, Vinsantos brings a distinctive flair to the show, blending elements of drama, comedy, and the surreal. The narrative delves into the complexities of identity, artistic expression, and the pursuit of failed dreams, offering viewers a front-row seat to the captivating world of Nightingale.

The humour noir is complemented by a rich and diverse score that propels the satirical and grotesque themes throughout the show. The compelling storytelling not only morphs Vinsantos and Nightingale into a twin flame but also bedims the fourth wall of the theater. Nightingale is an imperative theatrical spectacle for those seeking a fresh and original take on the mutilated characters of Tennessee Williams, anchored by the charismatic presence of Vinsantos. Get ready to be transported into a realm where creativity knows no bounds, and the night comes alive (or faces death) with the mesmerizing performance of Nightingale.

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 Friday night performance includes a talkback moderated by Fauxnique.

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 Andrea Gastelum.

The Friday night performance includes a talkback moderated by David Kaplan.