Provincetown falls "Under the Influence" of Tennessee Williams at this year's fest
The fifth annual Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival has chosen a juicy theme this year — “Under the Influence.” It’s a nuanced reflection on Williams’ work and creates the opportunity to look at everything a little differently.
“In 2007 we did the first plays that were not by Williams,” festival director Jef Hall-Flavin says by way of explanation about this year’s theme. That phrase was used to describe others who were under Williams’ influence but this year, it comes full circle to include Williams’ own inspirations.
Content for this year’s program evolved from connections made at past festivals, Hall-Flavin says. He mentions DanzLoop, who took part in 2008 and now returns with a new dance for this year.
“It’s synergy between us and the other [performing] groups,” he says. “We have a new dance piece and a new musical this year. We are excited to bring new works to the stage. We are not a museum, not a mausoleum for old plays.”
Included in the Sept. 23-26 festival lineup are plays written by Williams, plays or other work that influenced Williams, and work influenced by the playwright himself. As a special treat, an old friend of Williams, former poet laureate William Jay Smith, will talk about his early friendship with Williams when Tennessee was still just plain “Tom” and the two were in college together.
Following up on last year’s successful use of non-theatrical venues the festival is again taking to the streets and even front porches of locations around town. This re-setting of the fourth wall is just one more technique the festival uses so well.
World premiere
Plays by Williams this year include “27 Wagons Full of Cotton,” staged by Big Finish Productions and directed by Jeff Glickman, paired with the world premiere of “American Gothic,” directed by Davis Robinson and the Beau Jest troupe. Beau Jest brought us the dynamic rendition of “The Remarkable Rooming House of Madame Le Monde” at last year’s festival.