Tennessee Williams &New Orleans Literary Festival 2022 Schedule
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
8 – 9:30 PM—Special Event
OPENING NIGHT
A STREETCAR SPECTACLE: CELEBRATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Is there any better way to celebrate the 75th anniversary of A Streetcar Named Desire than with a celebrity homage to the most iconic American play? Join co-hosts Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris and vocal powerhouse Arsène Delay, with performances by dancer Edward Spots of Alvin Ailey fame, renowned performance poet Sunni Patterson, and a who’s who of New Orleans talent: Beth Bartley, Troi Bechet, Todd d’Amour, Delta Review, Jen Pagan, Harry Mayronne and his marionettes, Slick Skillet Serenaders, drag queens, and more!
Doors open at 7:15 PM, cash bar. Performance at 8 PM.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $50 or VIP Pass
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
9 AM – 4 PM
Box Office located on the Hotel Monteleone Mezzanine
WALKING TOURS at end of document.
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 cafes, pubs, bookstores 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 Richard Louth at rlouth@selu.edu.
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
10:00 – 11:15 AM—Writer’s Craft Session
HOW TO PLOT A STORY
Many writers find that when they sit down to write, their initial idea for a story turns out too vague, underdeveloped, or otherwise riddled with problems. It is easy to get lost at this point. In this session, Zachary Lazar, author of five books, will talk about how to build a satisfying plot through the use of scenes, complications, and dramatic escalation. Most of the talk will be practical and illustrated with concrete examples. We will then discuss our own challenges in creating plots, with time for Q and A.
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
11:30 – 12:45 AM—Writer’s Craft Session
USING PSYCHOLOGY TO CREATE MEMORABLE CHARACTERS
Join author Farrah Rochon on a deep dive into creating characters using various methods rooted in psychology, including characterization with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and how to apply it to fiction writing. Farrah Rochon is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than 35 novels, including The Boyfriend Project and The Dating Playbook. The two-time RITA Award finalist is a native of South Louisiana and a lover of all things Disney.
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
1:30 – 2:45 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
JERICHO BROWN: NONSENSE AND SENSELESSNESS
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown takes us on a dive into what’s going on when we read a poem and think, “That doesn’t make sense.” Former Poet Laureate Rita Dove says that “poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful,” yet many readers still struggle to understand the meanings of poems. Looking at examples of sense and nonsense in the work of several poets, we’ll explore the different techniques poets use to balance meaning and mystery, and we’ll generate new work together through a set of unconventional exercises, drawing on the themes of sense and nonsense, engendering new ideas about writing. As there is a profound relationship between reading poetry and writing it, together we’ll read, discuss, and even recite the work of several poets whose examples might lead us to a further honing of our craft.
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
3 – 4:15 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
PRESENTING YOUR WORK TO A PUBLISHER
Abram Shalom Himelstein of the University of New Orleans Press, Alisa Plant of Louisiana State University Press, and Kalamu ya Salaam of Runagate Press talk about how to approach a local publisher and publishers in general. These three seasoned professionals will talk about what makes a query letter and proposal stand out, as well as talking about the specific needs of university and independent presses.
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
6:30 – 9 PM—Special Event
A LITTLE PIECE OF ETERNITY: STREETCAR TURNS 75!
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS TRIBUTE READING
Our Annual Tennessee Williams Tribute Reading is dedicated this year to the 75th Anniversary of A Streetcar Named Desire, which first hit Broadway like a lightning bolt December 3, 1947. One of a handful of plays that influenced global culture in the 20th century, Streetcar continues to captivate audiences with its eloquent beauty and profound tragedy. Arthur Miller later wrote, “What Streetcar’s first production did was to plant the flag of beauty on the shores of commercial theater.” Readings from Williams’s masterpiece will be accompanied by selections from his poetry, prose, and letters, as well as some surprising international reviews, critical responses over the decades, adaptations, draft material, and playful insights into the enduring cultural reception of this unparalleled play. Writers, actors, and long-time Festival favorites such as Jericho Brown, Michael Cerveris, Brenda Currin, Vinsantos DeFonte, David Pevsner, Brittany N. Williams, and David Williams will read. This event is curated by Festival Director Paul J. Willis and Williams editor Thomas Keith, who will also host.
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 at the Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Avenue, $40 or VIP Pass
7:30 – 9 PM—Theatre
FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS
Presented by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans
Come to the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans’s grand re-opening and be ready for a night of Tennessee Williams spoofs that range from wacky to noir, showcasing the flagship playwright’s most iconic characters and plots in a completely different style. First, meet an all-new Blanche who’s just as possessed by lust and desperation as ever in Desire, Desire, Desire by Christopher Durang. Next, it’s over to the parlor of Amanda Wingvalley in the titular comedy For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls by Christopher Durang. Finally, sink your teeth into something spooky and mysterious with Swamp Gothic by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, a loving send up of Suddenly Last Summer and Swamp Thing comics! A versatile cast full of doubling and even tripling roles will have YOU doubled over and rolling in stitches as TWTC premieres its first night of live theatre since 2019! 90 minutes, no intermission.
Preview Performance Thursday March 24, 7:30 PM.
Performances Friday, March 25 – Sunday, March 27 at 7:30 PM.
Loyola University New Orleans, Lower Depths Theater. Tickets at www.twtheatrenola.com.
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
9 AM – 4 PM
Box Office and Book Fair, located on the Hotel Monteleone Mezzanine
Book Fair hosted by Octavia Books and Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Bookshop
9 AM – 4 PM—26th Annual Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference
See page end of document for full schedule.
10 – 11:15 AM—Writer’s Craft Session
WRITING PERSONAL NONFICTION ABOUT WHAT HURTS
Esmé Weijun Wang leads this session for nonfiction writers, during which we will take a look at writing nonfiction, including personal essays and memoir, about painful subjects. Questions that we will address include: How do we prepare to write about trauma while doing minimal harm to ourselves? How do we know whether it’s really time to write about something painful? What about the other people that are involved in the things that we want to write about? And how do we keep ourselves from making our nonfiction into a self-absorbed journal entry, as opposed to literature?
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
10 – 11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
QUARTER RATS AND RIVER RATS: PORTRAITS OF TWO COMMUNITIES
Artist Emilie Rhys grew up knowing her father Noel Rockmore was an artist, but she never actually met him until she was an adult. Together and separately, the two of them chronicled the lives of the French Quarter musicians of several eras. Now Emilie owns Scene by Rhys, a French Quarter gallery, and she continues that work, describing its evolution in her new book, New Orleans Music Observed: The Art of Noel Rockmore and Emilie Rhys. Macon Fry found his dream life living on the Mississippi River, living in a house on the river batture among a hardy community of outsiders. He chronicles that history in his new book, They Called Us River Rats. These two writers/artists offer an important look at two of the most elusive communities in New Orleans. Moderated by David Johnson.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion or VIP Pass
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Special Event
TENNESSEE 101
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 and author of Tennessee Williams 101. Bring your questions; there’s a Q&A session at the end, or get your copy of TW101 for a brief signing to follow!
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $15 or VIP Pass
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
BEHIND THE SCENES AT CARNIVAL
This panel takes you behind the scenes at the world’s biggest party, exploring its long history and complicated culture. Stephen Hales, King of Carnival in 2017, talks about his new book, Rex: 150 Years of the School of Design; Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes explores the Northside Skull and Bones Gang and talks about his books, Talk that Music Talk and La Ker Creole; Judy Cooper tells us about decades of photographing the Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs of New Orleans for her book, Dancing in the Streets; and Doug MacCash of The Times-Picayune has the history of one of the most celebrated throws in his new book, Mardi Gras Beads. Moderated by Arthur Hardy, publisher of the Mardi Gras Guide. Sponsored by Kathleen and Edmund Schrenk.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion or VIP Pass
1 – 2:15 PM—SASFest Master Class
SONGWRITING AS A HEALING ART WITH MARY GAUTHIER
Mary Gauthier’s job as a songwriting instructor is to encourage courage. She gently guides songwriters to dig deep into their inner selves, push through firewalls of fear, confusion and self-doubt, and make peace with vulnerability to help them discover, uncover, and use their own unique voice. The beauty of this challenging work is the discovery that the deeply personal is universal. Once we understand this and become willing to be honest in our songs, they will start to connect us to ourselves, to others, and to the world in ways we never could have imagined. These new connections inevitably bring us joy. We are returned to our own hearts as we share our humanity with others. We go from feeling narrated, into narrating. We take a step back, observe, and become our own witness. The space created in this act offers an opportunity to discover, name, and abandon self-defeating patterns. The uncovering and revealing of oneself in our human brokenness can then become a source of transformative beauty, the creation of art.
Hotel Monteleone, Royal Salon, $20 or VIP Pass or SAS Registration
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
THE SHORT OF IT–THE ART OF WRITING SHORT FICTION
Tom Andes of the New Orleans Writers Workshop moderates a panel of acclaimed short story writers—Megan Mayhew Bergman, whose new book, How Strange a Season, portrays women who wrestle with problematic inheritances; Ladee Hubbard, whose stories in The Last Suspicious Holdout explore relationships between friends, family, and strangers in a Black neighborhood over fifteen years; and Blake Sanz, whose collection, The Boundaries of Their Dwelling, won the Iowa Short Fiction Prize for 2021.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1:30 – 2:45 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
ERICA SPINDLER: MASTERING THE ART OF ADDICTIVE SUSPENSE
Would you like to write a novel that readers just can’t put down? Do you wonder what elements elevate a ho-hum read to an edge-of-your-seat, roller coaster ride? New York Times-bestselling author Erica Spindler, dubbed the Master of Addictive Suspense and Queen of the Romantic Thriller, will share her secrets for writing addictive page turners. Tips will cover character (hero and villain), plot, pacing, story structure, and more.
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
3 – 4:15 PM—Writer’s Craft Session
THE INVISIBLE ART: RE-SEEING REVISION WITH PETER HO DAVIES
Writers from Ernest Hemingway (“The only kind of writing is rewriting”) to Khaled Hosseini (“Writing for me is largely about rewriting”) to Joyce Carol Oates (“Most of my time writing is really re-writing”) have stressed the importance of revision. And yet, since all we usually have access to is the final draft of a published book or story, revision is something of an invisible art. In this craft session we’ll try to draw it forth into the light by calling on examples from life, literature and even pop culture (from remakes to reboots to retcons), and exploring a range of strategies—“Save” Your Darlings, Revising Titles, Getting to Done – for how to re-see re-vision.
The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, $25 or VIP Pass
3 – 4:30 PM—Conversation and Film
KENNETH HOLDITCH ON THE LEGACY OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS AND NEW ORLEANS
Through his writing, Tennessee Williams created a mythic New Orleans for himself and readers, a “more congenial place,” where the passions and truths of human nature are revealed in Vieux Carré garrets and Garden District salons. Over a long and distinguished career, pre-eminent Williams scholar Dr. Kenneth Holditch has worked to illuminate Tennessee’s creations, providing insight into the origins of Williams’ most engaging characters, especially those whose stories take place in New Orleans. As a resident of the French Quarter/Marigny for over 50 years, Dr. Holditch’s familiarity with “the last Bohemia” and the eccentricities of New Orleans has shaped our understanding of the role New Orleans played in both Williams’ life and his work. The film illuminates Tennessee’s biography, relationships, and work habits, his faith, family, and friends (high and low). Utilizing previously unseen documentary footage, excerpts from books and lectures, and media from TWFest archives, this film presents Dr. Holditch’s unique appreciation of some of Williams’ best-known plays, as well as his more obscure writing. After the film, Holditch will be interviewed by his longtime friend, actress Brenda Currin.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion or VIP Pass
Support for this project provided by Janet Daley Duval, Hal Reed, and Jack Sullivan.
7:30 – 9 PM—Theatre
FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS
Presented by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans
See above for full description.
9:30 – 11 PM–Theatre
NIGHTINGALE: A ONE-MAN SHOW WITH VINSANTOS DEFONTE
Vinsantos DeFonte presents a preview of his one man-ish show directed by Dennis Monn. This work is inspired by DeFonte’s affection and obsession with Tennessee Williams’ famed character Nightingale from Vieux Carré. Part play, part musical, Nightingale tells the tale of a struggling artist with delusions of grandeur, a character study of who they might have been before moving into a French Quarter flophouse. A workshop view of the piece will be followed by a moderated discussion with DeFonte, Monn, and the curator of the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival, David Kaplan. The venue is an intimate courtyard on the edge of the historic French Quarter, just steps away from Tennessee Williams’ final New Orleans residence.
830 North Rampart Street, Tickets are $20. Available at www.galerievinsantos.com
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
9 AM – 4 PM
Box Office and Book Fair, located on the Hotel Monteleone Mezzanine
Book Fair hosted by Octavia Books and Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Bookshop
8:30 – 9:45 AM—Special Event
BOOKS AND BEIGNETS
To mark the 75th anniversary of A Streetcar Named Desire, the reading group will dive deeply into Williams’ most famous and most canonical work, teasing out the complexities of the clashing forces embodied in Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. We’ll also explore how New Orleans functions both realistically and symbolically as a setting, how the popular culture of the 1940s saturates the play, and what the complications were in adapting it into the 1951 film. Attendees are invited to read—or reread—this seminal work of US drama, with the suggested edition being the New Directions paperback (ISBN 978-0811216029). The tradition of coffee and beignets at Muriel’s Restaurant returns, with southern literary scholar Gary Richards once again facilitating discussion. Seating is limited.
Muriel’s Jackson Square Restaurant, $25 or VIP Pass
10 – 11:30 AM—Literary Discussion
TRYING TO WASH US AWAY: COASTAL EROSION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of How Strange a Season, Craig Colten, author of State of Disaster: A Historical Geography of Louisiana’s Land Loss Crisis; Olivia Clare Friedman, author of Here Lies; and Nathaniel Rich, author of Losing Earth: The Decade We Could Have Stopped Climate Change and Second Nature, discuss writing about the urgent issues of climate change and its human cost in both fiction and nonfiction. Moderated by Richard Goodman, co-editor of The Gulf South: An Anthology of Environmental Writing.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
10 – 11:30 AM–Conversation
EVERY MAN A POLITICIAN
Robert Mann, author of Backrooms and Bayous: My Life in Louisiana Politics, discusses a career that has taken him from Washington, DC, where he worked as press secretary for Senators Russell Long and John Breaux, to an academic life as a professor of journalism at Louisiana State University. Mann will be interviewed by longtime political observer and commentator Errol Laborde, creator of the weekly political program on WYES, Informed Sources.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
11 AM – 1 PM—Special Event
DRAG QUEEN BRUNCH WITH POPPY TOOKER
Join Poppy Tooker and her band of rollicking drag queens for an authentic New Orleans drag brunch at Sobou Restaurant with three courses, three queens, and bottomless Mariposa Mimosas! Don’t miss the costumes, glitter, performances, plus a Chandon Garden Spritz giveaway. Be sure to bring your dollar bills to encourage incredible displays of artistry from Laveau Contraire, Debbie with a D, and Cucci Licci. Plus, Poppy Tooker, author of Drag Queen Brunch will be on hand with copies of her latest book. You’ll want to get her autograph along with all the queens. Local favorite SoBou, the Louisiana street food-inspired and cocktail-centric sister of Commander’s Palace, is located at the W Hotel in the French Quarter.
SoBou, 310 Chartres Street, $95. SoBou’s OPEN TABLE page under “Experiences.”
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
TRUE TO LIFE: THE ART OF WRITING BIOGRAPHY
Join biographers Tyler Bridges, author of biographies of David Duke and Edwin Edwards, as well as The Flight: A Father’s War, a Son’s Search; Miles Harvey, author of The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch; Betsy Prioleau, author of Diamonds and Deadlines: A Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age; and Tom Sancton, author of The Last Baron: The Paris Kidnapping That Brought Down an Empire, as they share their craft and discuss the art and craft of biography. Moderated by David Johnson.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
“They told me to take a streetcar named desire” — ICONIC PERFORMANCES OF THE LAST 75 YEARS
Now in its seventh decade, A Streetcar Named Desire has inspired dozens of iconic and groundbreaking productions and landmark performances. This panel will look back at famous English-language productions of Streetcar featuring some of the most memorable Blanches such as Rosemary Harris, Blythe Danner, Jessica Lange, Cate Blanchette, and Gillian Anderson, to name a few; notable Stanleys including James Farentino, Alec Baldwin, and Blair Underwood; and distinguished directors such as Ed Sherin, Nikos Psacharopoulos, Gregory Mosher, Ivo van Hove, Liv Ullman, Emily Mann, and Lee Breuer. The panel will also delve into the history of the first all-Black cast productions in America, some of the less successful productions, as well as few surprising incarnations of Streetcar that are perhaps not quite as famous. Panelists include Dramatists Play Service editor and agent, Peter Hagan, director David Kaplan, and New Directions editor Thomas Keith. Moderator: Tom Mitchell.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Theatre
REPARATIONS WITH OT AND MAMA NOLA
Performance and Conversation
Join Councilman Oliver Thomas and Kathy Randels in the staged reading of a new play that brings the conversation about Reparations for Black New Orleanians front and center into the city’s mind, heart, and budget! Directed by Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, CEO of Ashé Cultural Arts Center and commissioned by Orissa Arend, Justice and Beyond and Ashé Cultural Arts Center. The performance will be followed by a dialogue with the audience, facilitated by playwright, Lisa D’Amour.
Hotel Monteleone, Vieux Carré Room, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
SUCH A WICKED CITY: NEW ORLEANS AND THE IDEA OF DECADENCE
Brian Altobello, author of Whiskey, Women, and War: How the Great War Shaped Jim Crow New Orleans; Robert Azzarello, author of Three Hundred Years of Decadence: New Orleans Literature and the Transatlantic World; Alecia P. Long, “Cruising for Conspirators: How a New Orleans DA Prosecuted the Kennedy Assassination as a Sex Crime,” and Frank Perez, author of Southern Decadence in New Orleans, talk about the roots of the city’s reputation for decadence. Moderated by Teresa Toulouse, co-editor of Sweet Spots: In-Between Spaces in New Orleans.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1 – 2 PM—Literary Discussion
STRONG LIKE BAMBOO: A LOOK AT NEW ORLEANS’ RESILIENT VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY
New Orleans is a city with numerous distinctly rich cultures. The Vietnamese community in New Orleans is the focus of Eric Nguyen‘s revealing debut novel about an immigrant family, Things We Lost in the Water (2022) and a new documentary film by Glen Pitre that focuses on the principal church serving the community, Mary Queen of Vietnam (2022). Mark VanLandingham, a professor in Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine who has closely followed this community, moderates the conversation.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
2:15 – 3:30 PM—Film
MARY QUEEN OF VIETNAM
Glen Pitre introduces Mary Queen of Vietnam, an hour-long television documentary, offering a lively look at one of Louisiana’s and America’s most fascinating but least understood ethnic cultures. He takes us inside the community surrounding Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church in eastern New Orleans as it prepares for its huge annual Tet Festival. Through raucous public celebrations, private, never-before-filmed rituals, and daily life at work, school, and home, Mary Queen of Vietnam explores an immigrant community in transition by following multiple Vietnamese-Americans from three different generations.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
2:30 – 3:30 PM—Literary Discussion
GO TO JAIL: YOUTH WRITING ABOUT THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Last year, the ground-breaking New Orleans youth writing program Students at the Center (SAC) published Go to Jail, a collection of writings about life inside the prison industrial complex in Louisiana. Join Jerome Morgan of Free-Dem Foundation, who was exonerated after 20 years in 2017; Avrelle Pierre who served 5 years at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women and was a founding member of The Graduates; writer and Black Arts Movement leader Kalamu ya Salaam, and Ashley Jones, founding SAC student author who became a SAC teacher and director, to discuss the book and its creative approach to trauma recovery and transformative system change. Facilitated by Kathy Randels, Artistic Director of ArtSpot Productions and Co-Director of The Graduates, a theater company composed of formerly incarcerated women.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
2:30 – 4 PM—Staged Reading
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’ MOISE & THE WORLD OF REASON
Adapted for the stage by Justin Maxwell.
World Premiere presented by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans
A struggling writer teeters on the edge of collapse. He is haunted by the memories of his dead lover, as his current relationship grinds to a tumultuous end. His only lifeline, the titular Moise, is herself on the very brink of destruction. With little more than love and hope can they overcome the loneliness and desperation of a long winter night in 1970s New York City? Moise and the World of Reason is distinctly different from what most theatre goers might expect from New Orleans’s patron playwright, and this adaptation promises to showcase many notes of Williams’ work that will excite and entrance audiences as the characters wend through a spiritual and carnal walkabout on a chilly night. Moise and the World of Reason is presented by special arrangement with The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.
Hotel Monteleone, Vieux Carré Room, $20 or VIP Pass
4 – 5:15 PM—Literary Discussion
EXILE AND THE ARTIST’S RESPONSIBILITY
The choice to become an exile is often a difficult one. What about the choice to write about exile and the life that was left behind? In The Fortunes, Peter Ho Davies retells American history through the eyes of Chinese-Americans. In The Apartment on Calle Uruguay, Zachary Lazar creates an expat romance between a blocked painter and a charismatic journalist. And in The Perfume Thief, Timothy Schaffert gives us Clementine, a memorable queer American expat in wartime France. Moderated by author Katy Simpson Smith
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
5:30 – 6:45 PM—Cocktail Event
COCKTAILS WITH TENNESSEE: MAKING MAGIC HAPPEN WITH 4 DRINKS INSPIRED BY HIS CHARACTERS
“I don’t want realism. I want magic!” said Tennessee Williams’ Blanche DuBois. And who are we to deny her and festival goers? Bringing Blanche and other Williams’ characters to cocktail life is Bakery Bar’s Joe Witkowski, who will enchantingly meld his bartending and theatrical skills to create a one-of-a-kind event at the festival. Joining him is Sue Strachan, author of The Café Brûlot, who will add some heat with another cocktail. The setting for this theater of the cocktail is Antoine’s, a classic New Orleans restaurant that opened its doors in 1840 and is still owned by the same family. This is where Café Brûlot was invented in the U.S., as well as other signature dishes such as Oysters Rockefeller. Not only will guests enjoy the cocktails and ambiance, the restaurant will serve passed hors d’oeuvres.
Antoine’s Restaurant, 713 St. Louis Street. $55
7:30 – 9 PM—Theatre
FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS
Presented by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans
See above for full description.
SUNDAY, MARCH 27
9 AM – 3 PM
Box Office and Book Fair, located on the Hotel Monteleone Mezzanine
Book Fair hosted by Octavia Books and Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Bookshop
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 cafes, pubs, bookstores 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 Richard Louth at rlouth@selu.edu.
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
10 – 11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS
Four accomplished memoirists discuss their craft in revealing new books. Jami Attenberg gives us an unvarnished account of a writer’s life in I Came All This Way to Meet You, her debut memoir; Mary Gauthier shares both her craft and her personal story in Saved by a Song; David Pevsner shares stories and life lessons from his book, Damn Shame: A Memoir of Desire, Defiance, and Show Tunes; and Esmé Weijun Wang gracefully reveals her struggles in The Collected Schizophrenias, with both analytical and personal insights. New Orleans author Constance Adler moderates.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
10:30 – 11:45 AM—Theatre
STAGED READING OF THE 2022 WINNING ONE-ACT PLAY
UNO Film and Theatre Professor, David Hoover, directs a staged reading of this year’s One-Act Play contest winning entry, By the Book by James Wade. Festival Judge, Peter Hagan (former President of the Dramatist Play Service) had this to say about By the Book: “Six (well, five) characters in search of a writer’s room. This send-up of television police procedurals is very funny, very smart and—at an important moment in the play—surprisingly moving. The playwright has a sharp eye for the absurdities (and also delights) of the genre, and also has some very keenly-observed things to say about how sticking slavishly to a formula, and relegating minority characters and stories to the sidelines, can keep us from seeing the Big Picture. A well-crafted and thoroughly original play. With thanks to Pirandello.”
Hotel Monteleone, Vieux Carré Room, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Music Event
DRUMMER & SMOKE, SESSION 1: HOT CLUB OF STORYVILLE
Hot Club of Storyville is a jazz manouche/New Orleans jazz band that combines their passion for music with a love for urban exploration. Led by violinist/composer Hanna Mignano, the group is heavily rooted in the gypsy jazz tradition in the style of Django Reinhardt’s Quintette de Hot Club du France, while drawing on such eclectic inspiration as New Orleans trad, Western swing, alchemy and the occult. When not performing at the usual haunts of Frenchmen Street, they can be found creating musical sorcery within the forbidden, forgotten, and forsaken corners of the city.
Palm Court Jazz Cafe, 1204 Decatur Street, $10 or VIP Pass
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: CONNECTING CHARACTER AND SETTING
Placing a character in a particular setting opens up so many narrative choices—how the characters engage with that landscape, how to authentically create life in a specific place. Sometimes the setting itself becomes a character. These writers have set their work in places as diverse as Florida and Syria during wartime, and they will discuss powerful relationships between people and places. Panelists include Tom Cooper, Louis Edwards, Roy Hoffman, and Mahyar Amouzegar. Moderator: George Bishop, Jr.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1 – 2:15 PM—Theatre
The NOLA Project presents TENNESSEE X THREE
INTERIOR: PANIC – Any list of Tennessee Williams’ most fascinating characters is sure to include Blanche DuBois. So to see Williams’ first attempt at creating her story in INTERIOR: PANIC makes her journey that much more fascinating. Join The NOLA Project in exploring some of the familiar situations of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire. Come hear the tale of Blanche Shannon staying with her sister and brother-in-law, Grace and Jack Kiefaber, in their cramped New Orleans quarters. Listen as Blanche obsesses over her appearance, hears voices from her past, and falls into a state of paranoia and anxiety as her “gentleman caller” goes absent. Most fascinating of all, you’ll be offered a drastically different ending to the tale of Blanche.
HONOR THE LIVING – John has recently returned from fighting in World War I. Mary, his young bride, is thrilled that he has returned physically unharmed. But John is unable to adapt to life after the front lines. Written in 1937, HONOR THE LIVING likely had a much larger impact on readers and audiences when it was written, well before the details of the atrocities of war were so readily available. Come hear the tale of this young couple’s relationship from newlyweds to new parents to devastating heartbreak under the crushing weight of John’s deep psychological wounds from the horrors he experienced overseas.
PORTRAIT OF A MADONNA centers on a middle-aged spinster, Miss Lucretia Collins. She was a minister’s daughter and once upon a time considered a good girl, a respectable girl. And she fell in love with a boy in her town. Between her reputation and her young love, she had a bright future … but nothing ever worked out with him; he married someone else. Lucretia Collins never recovered from that blow. At the play’s open, Miss Collins is living in a small dingy apartment and time has run out for her. Every night, she believes that Richard, the man she once loved, breaks into her room to “indulge his senses.” Miss Collins has called down to the building manager to report that she has had an intruder, yet again. Unbeknownst to her, a doctor has been called to take her away to an institution.
Hotel Monteleone, Vieux Carré Room, $20 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
STAKING A CLAIM: DEBUT NOVELISTS
How do you create a sense of belonging in a strange place, a new home, a changed earth? In four thrilling new novels, characters combat climate change, racism, displacement, and supernatural forces to make space for themselves and their families. Join debut novelists Olivia Clare Friedman, author of Here Lies; Megan Giddings, author of Lakewood; Alex Jennings, author of The Ballad of Perilous Graves; and Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost in the Water as they discuss building fictional worlds and real-life community. Moderated by C. Morgan Babst, author of The Floating World.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1 – 2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
WHO GETS TO TELL THE STORY?
How do you liberate your imagination and creative voice to tell stories that may exist outside of your personal experience? Can you speak for others without silencing or appropriating their voices or truths? As LGBTQ and BIPOC writers gain greater visibility and access to the publishing world, they face the challenges of the present moment, including issues of authenticity, appropriation, gender representation, racism, misogyny, transphobia, class, and faith issues. Panelists include Elizabeth Miki Brina, who writes about her Okinawan mother; Maurice Carlos Ruffin, whose latest story collection portrays New Orleanians of many different orientations; and Elena Gross, writer and cultural critic. Moderated by Anne-christine d’Adesky, journalist and author (The Pox Lover).
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon, $10 or Literary Discussion Pass or VIP Pass
1 – 2:15 PM—Music Event
DRUMMER & SMOKE, SESSION 2: TOM HOOK AND WENDELL BRUNIOUS
Wendell Brunious was bandleader of the world-famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band from 1987 to 2010, having learned trumpet from his father, renowned musician John “Pickett” Brunious. He is an internationally renowned jazz artist and has performed with a veritable Who’s Who of jazz greats, including a stint with the Lionel Hampton band. Tom Hook worked for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company as a lounge entertainer, band leader, cruise director, manager, and Director of Entertainment. Also spending several years as a staff musician and featured entertainer at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, he has toured the world as a solo artist and with various bands. He is currently Entertainment Director for Viking River Cruises’ new vessel, the Viking Mississippi and appears regularly in New Orleans.
Palm Court Jazz Cafe, 1204 Decatur Street, $10 or VIP Pass
2:30 – 3:45 PM—Conversation
RICKIE LEE JONES AND MARY GAUTHIER IN CONVERSATION
Gwendolyn Thompkins of Music Inside Out moderates a conversation between two of our most beloved singer/songwriters. Rickie Lee Jones has made New Orleans her adopted home; Mary Gauthier was born here. Both have devoted followings for their idiosyncratic music. These women talk about the reckoning with their lives that came with writing recent memoirs, Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour, by Jones, and Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting, by Gauthier. They also talk about what’s next for them in music and writing.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or Literary Discussion or VIP Pass
2:30 – 3:45 PM—Music Event
DRUMMER & SMOKE, SESSION 3: ARSÈNE DELAY
Arsène DeLay is a New Orleans singer, songwriter, and musician known to navigate diverse musical genres, from jazz, R&B, blues, rock and roll, to funk and folk. Daughter of an active-duty military father, Arsène spent much of her life on the road, starting on Milwaukee’s rich underground hip-hop and poetry scene and finishing her BFA at Marquette University. Before finishing her master’s degree at California Institute of the Arts, she had already performed at Ascona Jazz and Heritage Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the REDCAT Theatre at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Comin’ Home, her critically acclaimed and award-nominated debut album (2014) was featured on NCIS: New Orleans. Her latest collaboration is Blue Basso with Charlie Wooton, Doug Wimbish, Eric McFadden, Anders Osborne, and Sonny Landreth.
Palm Court Jazz Cafe, 1204 Decatur Street, $10 or VIP Pass
4:15 – 5:30 PM—Special Event
STELLA AND STANLEY SHOUTING CONTEST
Close out our 75th anniversary celebration of A Streetcar Named Desire by watching contestants vie to rival Stanley Kowalski’s shout for “STELLAAAAA!!!” in the unforgettable scene from the play. Or show us your skills and be in the contest. Sign up for the Shout begins at 3:15 and is open to the first 25 contestants.
Jackson Square, Free and open to the public.
7:30 – 9 PM—Theatre
FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS
Presented by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans
See page 2 for full description.
Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference 2022
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street
$10 per session or Scholars Conference Pass, VIP Pass, or Literary Discussion Pass
9 – 9:05 AM
Welcome: Margit Longbrake, The Historic New Orleans Collection
9:05 – 9:15 AM
Opening remarks: Bess Rowen, Villanova University
9:15 – 10:30 AM
The World Lit by Lightning: Scholars Unveil Their Favorite Williams-Related Images
In this lively, visually oriented lightning-round session, scholars show off their favorite Williams-related images and interpret them conversationally: enjoy seeing and learning about Streetcar in China, groundbreaking disability representation, Blanche’s exit with her doctor, and Williams’s Key West house. Will Brantley, Middle Tennessee State University (moderator), Jeniffer Cruz, St. Thomas University; Xingyue Wang, Shangxi Normal University; Eric Solomon, Emory University; Anwesha Mukherjee, University of Calcutta.
10:45 AM – 12 Noon
And Tell Glad Stories of the Lives of Queens: Williams and the Queer Community
Williams’s transgressive characters are so much more than the tragedy that often gets top billing: join us for a joy-filled conversation about everything from a gender-fluid Streetcar production and double-edged camp to sailors, Norman Rockwell, and Tom of Finland. Bess Rowen, Villanova University (moderator); Stephen Cedars, City University of New York, Graduate Center; Benjamin Gillespie, New York University; Michael Hooper, Independent Scholar.
Noon – 1:15 PM Lunch
1:15 – 2:30 PM
Masks Outrageous and Austere: Unconventional Stagings of Tennessee Williams
Distinguished theater directors share their experiences pushing traditional performance boundaries: come hear firsthand the reasoning behind—and results of—choices that surprised audiences and reimagined Williams’ works. Bess Rowen, Villanova University (moderator); Anthoullis Demosthenous, Independent Scholar; Jef Hall-Flavin, Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival; Tom Mitchell, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
2:45 – 3:45 PM
German Perspectives on Tennessee Williams
It’s no secret that Tennessee Williams has been perennially popular in Europe. Scholars from home and abroad examine the playwright’s status on the Continent, with a particular focus on German-language productions. Annette J. Saddik, City University of New York, Graduate Center (moderator); Kerstin Schmidt, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt; Basil Wiesse, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.
4 – 5:15 PM
AMOR PERDIDO/LOST LOVE
Amor Perdido/Lost Love is a presentation of four magical stories by Tennessee Williams: a sailor’s brief encounter in port (“The Lost Girl”), a writer and his soulmate in the French Quarter (“Dear Irene”), a vagabond artist at the end of his rope in a Mexican plaza (“Amor Perdido”), and a solitary young woman who finds a lover aboard a mysterious ship (“Blue Roses and the Polar Star”). A company of actors is accompanied by the songs of a street troubadour in this production from the University of Illinois and the Celebration Company of Urbana, Illinois. Performers include Jordan Coughtry, Nisi Sturgis, Joi Hoffsommer, Gary Ambler, Amy Toruno, and Scott Knier. Adapted and directed by Tom Mitchell.
TOURS
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY WALKING TOUR CREATED BY DR. KENNETH HOLDITCH
March 24, 25, 26, and 27
10 AM – 12 noon and 2 – 4 PM
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 and worked and returned to throughout his adult life, beloved spots that helped to make Tennessee America’s greatest playwright. Led by Heritage Tours and created by Dr. Kenneth Holditch, this was the first literary tour of the French Quarter.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $25 or VIP Pass.
LGBTQ+ FRENCH QUARTER TOUR
March 24, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
March 25, 3:30 – 5 PM
March 27, 1 – 2:30 PM
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.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $25 or VIP Pass.
HISTORY OF QUEER NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS TOUR
March 24, 25, 26, and 27
1 – 3 PM
From drag queens to Storyville madams to the burlesque dancer, Quinn LaRoux teaches the fascinating history of the rebellious and dangerous women and queer people who built New Orleans! The tours are hilarious, entertaining, and deeply committed to historical accuracy and social responsibility. Tours emphasize the contributions and stories of the women and queer people most on the margins of society, and attendees can expect to learn much about the history of trans people, the sex industry, and famous LGBTQ figures. Total tour walking distance is just under 2 miles.
Betty’s Bar, 700 Burgundy Street, $30 or VIP Pass
HISTORIC STORYVILLE WALKING TOUR
March 24 and 25, 3 – 5 PM
March 26, 10 AM – 12 noon and 3 – 5 PM
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. We stop along the way for a refreshing cocktail! Cocktail cost not included.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Parlor, $25 or VIP Pass
