ENJOY A MODERN ADAPTATION OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’ THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA AT NEW ORLEANS’ LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
Spend a weekend celebrating Tennessee Williams’s plays with New Orleans’s most talented actors, writers, and educators. This spring, the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans (TWTC) and the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival (TWFest) offer various events, performances, and seminars for fans of the playwright.
Tennessee Williams, New Orleans’ Beloved Playwright
American playwright, Tennessee Williams, fell in love with the City of New Orleans at first sight. As a result, some of his earliest and most acclaimed works were inspired by the city resulting in his notorious play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The play was later adapted for the motion picture film, winning several Academy Awards. Williams’ creative impact on New Orleans lives on through the TWTC and the TWFest, a five-day event held in the French Quarter every spring.
The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams at the Lower Depths Theatre
This year, TWTC will create a modern production of “The Night of the Iguana” by Tennessee Williams. One of Williams’ first plays, “The Night of the Iguana,” adapted from a short story he wrote, premiered on Broadway in 1961 and explores faith, loneliness, and jealousy.
“Welcome to the edge of the continent, where Shannon has placed his back against the ocean in a last-ditch effort to overcome his own nature. Will his blue devil or his better angels prevail? And will the creature survive? Vices: Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Lechery,” says TWTC about its distinctive production of the play.
The company will put on eleven performances at the Lower Depths Theatre on Loyola’s campus in the Garden District of New Orleans. Each show starts at 7:30 p.m. on the following dates:
- Friday, March 10
- Saturday, March 11
- Saturday, March 12
- Thursday, March 16
- Friday, March 17
- Saturday, March 18
- Saturday, March 19
- Thursday, March 23
- Friday, March 24
- Saturday, March 25
- Saturday, March 26
The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans (TWTC)
Since 2015, the TWTC has collaborated with local artists and talent to bring original adaptations of Williams’ expressionist theatre to the New Orleans community. TWTC is the first theatre in the United States to focus solely on the works of Williams in its productions. In 2019, the company joined Loyola University in a professional residency. Since then, the company has steadily performed masterful shows at the Lower Depths Theatre.
The New Orleans Theatre Association, New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, and Threadhead Cultural Foundation fund this season’s offerings.
The Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival
For those interested in educational, literary, and musical programs honoring Williams, the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival also occurs this year. The festival will ensue in the French Quarter on March 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.
Attendees can participate in special events like the traditional Stella Shouting Contest in Jackson Square, literary walking tours, and writer’s craft sessions. Some acclaimed authors speaking this year include Jacinta R. Saffold, Pam Radtke, T. R. Johnson, Brenda Currin, Jaclyn Bethany, and Peggy Scott Laborde.
Stay at Maison Dupuy
One of the best ways to experience a classic Tennessee Williams play in New Orleans is by staying at a hotel in the middle of it all. Maison Dupuy is ideally situated in the heart of the French Quarter. Make a reservation at Maison Dupuy today.