Tennessee Williams was a little bit in love with Italy. He was definitely in love with an Italian. This month, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis will pay tribute to that love with its theme, “Tennessee Williams & Italy,” and a production of his 1950 play, The Rose Tattoo , running August 18-28.
Helmed by David Kaplan—one of the world’s leading directors of Williams’ work—The Rose Tattoo will be a Felliniesque retelling of the story, set among the sights and sounds of the circus. Underneath The Big Top at Grand Center, aerialists, circus animals, clowns, and artists will convey this tale of an Italian-American widow, her daughter, and their respective loves.
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“I think in this production—the site combined with the power of the words—will make for real theater magic,” says Kaplan. “Everything in Williams is an incantation. The saying of the words creates a magic spell, and the challenge here is to keep the primacy of the words and to not let the visuals interrupt that spell but to empower that spell.”
Beyond The Big Top, the festival can also be experienced throughout The Hill. Plans include a Tennessee Williams tribute, a walking tour of the neighborhood, and a bocce competition, among other events. While he was inspired by Italy, it was The Hill that gave Williams his first taste of what he would find there.
“He was certainly aware of a sensual world beyond the surface of Catholicism. There was something secret behind the fronts of the houses [on The Hill]…He said that The Rose Tattoo was inspired by a trip to Sicily and by his love for Frank Merlo, who was Sicilian, all of which is true, but his earliest associations have to do with The Hill. That’s where he learned about it.”
By showing the plays here, Kaplan hopes that Williams’ relevance will extend deeper into St. Louis’ past and further into its future. He encourages audiences to make their way to The Big Top and the accompanying events to experience the one-of-a-kind magic produced by Williams’ works.
“It’s a magic spell. I’ve directed Williams all over the world,” says Kaplan. “When the words are spoken, something happens. A spell is cast, and that’s the power of Williams as a playwright.”
Italian Summer
Celebrate “Tennessee Williams & Italy” with TWStL’s lineup of exciting events.
August 20: Start the morning with a walking tour of The Hill, beginning at 9 a.m. at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. Head to The Marketplace on The Hill in the afternoon for a trio of panels: “Italian-Americans and The Hill of Tennessee Williams,” “Tennessee Williams’ Significant Other Frank Merlo,” and “The Summer Woman: A Story.”
August 21: Enjoy a tribute performance, “Tennessee Williams’ Italy,” at Guido’s Pizza and Tapas.
August 23: Hear from new voices at the Tennessee Williams New Playwrights Reading at The High Low.
August 24: Catch a screening of The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, based on the Tennessee Williams novel and starring Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty.
August 27: Watch—or test your own skills at—the bocce tournament at Italia-America Bocce Club.
