Sidewalk Studio Theatre to Host TENNESSEE IN THE SUMMER this Summer, Burbank

Sal Romeo ETC and SST Productions will present Joe Besecker's award-winning play, "TENNESSEE IN THE SUMMER," based on the life of the famed playwright, Tennessee Williams, at Sidewalk Studio Theatre, 4150 Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m., April 13 – May 20, 2012.

Under the direction of Sal Romeo (of Los Feliz), the cast will include Drama-Logue Award and Ovation Award Winner, Jack Heller (of Hollywood) (as Tennessee Williams); Daytime Emmy Award Winner and GLAAD Media Award Nominee, Tamara Braun (of Los Feliz) (as Woman); Louise Davis (of Los Feliz) (as EdwIna Williams, Rose Williams and Nurse – April 13, 14, 15, May 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20); Robert Standley (of Studio City) (as Youngman, Frankie Merlo and Dakin Williams); and Lisa Thayer (of Century City) (as EdwIna Williams, Rose Williams and Nurse – April 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, May 4, 5 and 6). Cindy Marinangel (of Culver City) is the Understudy for Woman and will perform the role on April 27, 28 and 29.

The production team includes: Sal Romeo, Director; Janice Allen, Producer, Sal Romeo ETC; Jade Puga, Producer, Sal Romeo ETC; Marc Haupert, Co-Producer, SST Productions; Kurt Swanson, Co-Producer, SST Productions; Lacey Anzelc, Set Designer; Paige Selene Duke, Lighting Designer; Richard Montes, Sound Designer; Liezzett Jauregui, Costume Designer; Rayford Sewell and Mason Moore, Stage Managers and Steve Moyer Public Relations, Press Representative.

About The Creation of the Play from the Playwright, Joe Besecker:

"The play began with an image in my head. Tennessee Williams was sitting at his typewriter on a patio of a Southern hotel. It was morning. A tall, mysterious blonde woman was sipping a drink and fighting with him. The woman began flirting with a Youngman who was below by the swimming pool.

"It became clear when I attempted to write subsequent scenes that I needed to ground the play into more realistic details of Tennessee Williams' life, so the Southern hotel became a New York City hotel room in 1972. I saturated myself in biographical information and the conflict of the male/female parts of Tennessee Williams. I concentrated on the emotions of the characters, and discovered the areas where my personal experiences merged with episodes of Williams' life.

"Time became fluid and people and places began melting into one another, and I saw that, perhaps, the real drama was the inner unconscious drama of the artist's psyche. The play became about the need to balance opposites, about the need to forgive other people, and especially about the need for self-forgiveness.

"'Tennessee in the Summer' received its debut in the spring of 1985 in the Valencia Rose Cabaret Room in San Francisco, CA, which was originally a mortuary. They converted a small upstairs viewing room for theatre. It was in this same room that talents like Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams got their starts. In that first production, my lover of 42 years, Bill Stanton, had a clicker in his hand which he would snap to signal the lighting technician when it was time to change the lights in a scene. Of course, things have changed immeasurably since then."

The production is sponsored in part by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Safada Y Sano Productions and Mo's Fine Food. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased by calling 800-838-3006 or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, please call 818-558-5702 or visit online at www.sidewalkstudiotheatre.info.

Photo Credit: Janice Allen.

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