INTERVIEW: Two rare plays by Tennessee Williams arrive in NYC
Photo: Outraged Hearts features a rare performance of Interior: Panic. Photo courtesy of the artists / Provided by JT PR with permission.
Tennessee Williams is one of the most produced playwrights in American history, but often the Broadway and off-Broadway scenes circulate his most well-known shows, including The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Those are historic plays deserving of their stature in the performing-arts world, but dedicated theatergoers, like this writer, sometimes yearn for a deeper dive into the scribe’s catalog.
Enter The Fire Weeds Theatre Company, which is currently staging two rare one-acts by Williams. The evening is called Outraged Hearts and features performances of Interior: Panic and The Pretty Trap. This is a special occasion indeed, a rare feat not seen since Mink Stole and Penny Arcade performed in The Mutilated more than a decade ago.
Jaclyn Bethany directs the two works at New York City’s Astaire Ballroom at the Houghton Hall Arts Community in the East 30s of Manhattan. Performances continue through Saturday, May 30.
Bethany serves as co-artistic director of The Fire Weeds, sharing that title with Lin Gathright. Together they have created a theater company that is female-driven, and they offer “the lens of the female perspective” in this double bill, according to press notes. What’s particularly exciting about these one-acts is that they serve as precursors to the classics. There are shades of Streetcar in Interior: Panic, and The Glass Menagerie definitely comes through in The Pretty Trap.
Recently Bethany exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox and explained her artistic choices for this special evening of theater, which she also acts in. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Why these two Tennessee Willliams plays? Why now?
Ever since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated with Tennessee Williams and his work. I am from Mississippi, and The Glass Menagerie was part of our required high school curriculum. Not long after, I discovered A Streetcar Named Desire, and the rest is history. His poetic voice and talent to capture characters stuck out to me, as a young teen trying to find my place in the world. As I grew up and entered adulthood, I realized his impact on me not only as an artist, but as a human being. He writes truth. When I was thinking what plays to produce when starting this theatre company, I naturally leaned towards The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire — two American classics, but as a writer and dramaturg myself, I was very interested in the development of them. This led to my discovery of The Pretty Trap (an early version of Menagerie) and Interior: Panic (an early version of Streetcar). I was surprised to see how different they were but also how they uniquely focused on the female characters in these early iterations.
Is it obvious in the text that these are precursors to Streetcar and Menagerie?
Yes and no. Most of the characters have the same names, but rather than fully-formed characters and fully-formed plays, these texts are a glimpse into their beginning. As a theatre artist, both texts open up exploration and possibility. That is a gift. You can really feel the beginnings of a master playwright exploring his voice with his most iconic characters and settings.
How does the production emphasize the “female perspective”?
I think just inherently because I’m a woman. I think because neither of these early texts have overtly devastating outcomes, unlike their final iterations. These shows are akin to my thesis as an artist, director and scholar. They are dedicated to the memory of Rose Williams. Rose was Tennessee’s sister who received a prefrontal lobotomy in her 30s. Her mental health condition was likely gravely misunderstood, which resulted in devastating consequences. Laura Wingfield, Blanche Dubois and many of his female characters are based on her and dedicated to honoring her memory. In these drafts we are performing, Rose’s lobotomy had not happened yet — and interestingly, in his endings here, he gives Blanche and Laura hope.
Do you feel that Williams wrote authentic female characters?
Absolutely I do. At the time his work was produced, female characters like this were not seen on stage. He changed the course of American theatre. He held up a mirror to his family, to his sister, to his mother, his grandmother, his female friends — in an incredibly brave way that was so ahead of his time. This is one of the many reasons why he’s the most produced American playwright. He had his pulse on something in a time when people were afraid to speak their voices or minds. What he considered his “otherness” never held him back. That’s what makes a great artist.
How proud are you of The Fire Weeds’ success?
We have come a long way! I feel so grateful to still be exploring this project and the words of Williams, over a year later. It has been a gift to continue work on great American playwrights such as Edward Albee — this naturally flowed into launching a platform for new work written by female-identifying artists. Our first new play festival, featuring work by emerging playwrights (Grace Curley, Emma Schillage, Surrey Houlker) and established (Beth Henley), will take place June 1 and 2 in NYC.
What’s the current state of indie theater in New York?
It is, as always, ever evolving. I feel lucky to be a part of it. This is an incredibly difficult business, and the performing arts feel more jeopardized than ever. I do encourage audiences to seek out new experiences beyond Broadway and support new work or new companies because there is a lot of great work happening in basements and ballrooms. Most importantly, building community is vital in keeping theater alive.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Outraged Hearts, featuring Interior: Panic and The Pretty Trap, continues through Saturday, May 30, at the Astaire Ballroom at the Houghton Hall Arts Community in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
