Celebrity Cast at Tennessee Williams Festival Event
Tony Award-winning Director Rob Ashford Brings Immersive Celebration with Celebrity Cast
NEW ORLEANS (press release) — The Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival will have a special 40th Anniversary event: a one-night-only immersive theatrical experience directed by acclaimed director and choreographer Rob Ashford.
The performance will take place on March 27 at 6:30 p.m. at BK House and Gardens in the French Quarter.
40th Anniversary Tennessee Williams Festival Event Details
The 40th anniversary event, We Have Not Long to Love: A Celebration of Tennessee Williams, will weave together several works by Tennessee Williams, inviting audiences to move through the historic property as the stories unfold around them.
The Cast
Bringing Williams’ stories to life is an extraordinary cast, including:
- Michael Cerveris, two-time Tony Award winner (“Fun Home,” “Assassins”)
- Christine Ebersole, two-time Tony Award winner (“Grey Gardens,” “42nd Street”)
- Marin Ireland (“Sneaky Pete,” “The Irishman”)
- Jennifer Laura Thompson (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “Wicked,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It”)
- Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Baby Driver,” “West Side Story”)
- Froy Gutierrez (“Cruel Summer,” “Here’s to Us”)
- Jennifer Nettles, Grammy Award–winning singer and actress; Tony Award winner Harriet Harris (“Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Frasier ” and “Desperate Housewives”)
- Micaela Diamond (“The Cher Show,” “Parade”)
- Leslie Castay (“The Big Short”)
Organizers share that, together, this ensemble will explore the enduring themes that run through the work of Tennessee Williams, bringing his evocative characters to life in an intimate and unforgettable theatrical journey.
The Audience
The evening will open with cocktails in the garden and a brief introduction to the house.
In intimate rooms of the historic home, small groups will experience iconic scenes from “Sweet Bird of Youth,” “Orpheus Descending” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Rather than watching distantly from seats, this immersive theater experience places the audience inside the world of the play.
As the audience is guided in small groups through the rooms of the house, the boundaries between stage, actors and audience disappear. Following a short intermission during which hors d’oeuvres and a signature cocktail will be served, guests will enter the courtyard for “Suddenly Last Summer,” bringing the evening to a powerful close.
“Tennessee Williams is the patron saint of New Orleans, a city that inspires and intrigues me,” said Ashford. “We Have Not Long to Love: A Celebration of Tennessee Williams will showcase the themes that Williams so often explored: fear of aging and loss of desire, illusion versus reality and the shifting power dynamics in relationships. It’s an honor to work with this extraordinary cast on the 40th anniversary of the beloved festival in the city where Williams thrived creatively.”
This special one-night-only benefit supports the 40th Anniversary of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival and its mission to celebrate and preserve the author’s legacy.
