1 of 3
Photo courtesy of ProPhotoSTL
"Stairs to the Roof"
2 of 3
Photo courtesy of ProPhotoSTL
"Stairs to the Roof"
3 of 3
Photo courtesy of ProPhotoSTL
"Stairs to the Roof"
In May of 2016, St. Louis will join Provincetown and New Orleans as the site for an annual Tennessee Williams festival to commemorate the playwright’s vast contributions to American theater. A true cultural icon, producing such beloved classics as Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie, Williams has written hundreds of plays that speak to the American experience—many of which were influenced by his time spent in St. Louis.
Carrie Houk, casting director and producer of the festival says, “I’ve never really understood why St. Louis hasn’t recognized him in a bigger way. Even though he wasn’t born here, he definitely spent his formative years here.”
The idea for the St. Louis festival began when Houk was at the New Orleans Tennessee Williams festival in March of 2014 and fell in love with one of Williams’ lesser-known one-act plays. She stayed after to commend the director, David Kaplan. After Houk mentioned that she was a director from St. Louis, Kaplan—also the head of the Provincetown Tennessee Williams festival—was instantly enthusiastic about setting up an event in St. Louis.
It was later that year, while Houk was directing the Williams play Stairs to the Roof, that the concept solidified. Stairs to the Roof had only been produced once before, but the play received an extremely positive response—providing Houk with a large pool of supporters and an ever-growing board for the upcoming festival. Current board members include such regional arts leaders as Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, Mary Strauss, Jill McGuire and Ken Page.
The festival will have a variety of theatrical offerings, including both Williams’ classics and a selection of lesser-known plays, as well as visual arts and film components. There will also be a one-act playwriting competition and a large educational program.
Houk explains, “I worry about the future of live theater with the next generation. I think it’s really important for kids to be introduced to theater, even before high school—especially classic American writers.”
The festival will send teaching artists into city and county schools, especially underfunded schools or those lacking in arts curricula, to discuss Williams’ work. There is also a plan for a concurrent introductory course to be taught in the year before the festival, as well as the potential for a children’s performing opportunity.
While the festival will include performances at several conventional stages in and around Grand Center, Houk says there will also be programming at several on-site locations in the Forest Park area, as well as at the Contemporary Museum of Art.
In addition to recognizing Williams’ incredible body of dramatic writing, the festival seeks to educate its attendees through panel discussions with Tennessee Williams scholars who have spoken at previous year’s festivals in both New Orleans and Provincetown.
Houk has been working closely with Kaplan throughout the planning process for the festival and notes that the format will be similar to the Provincetown version. The full lineup of events and locations will be announced this fall, but those who are eager to learn more are encouraged to check the Facebook page for current updates.
