TWFest Will Host Arts Gala Next Month

The Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival will host a Gala on November 21st at 7 pm at The Temple, the beaux-arts style home of Tony Award-winner John Cameron Mitchell. The Temple is a beautifully restored Italianate sidehall in the Bywater neighborhood with a storied past. 

“Tennessee Williams loved a party, he loved the arts, and he loved New Orleans,” says Gregory Gajus, Festival President. “Our Gala is a celebration of all the things he loved. But, most importantly, we are bestowing the namesake Tennessee Williams Award on New Orleanians who have made significant impacts on our cultural life, not just in New Orleans but internationally.” 

The evening begins at 6 pm with an exclusive, limited seating VIP experience including a garden chef's table, celebrity bartender cocktail pairings, music by Delta Revues, and a tour of the home and its rich collection of Hollywood, Broadway, and Rock'n'roll memorabilia.

At 7 pm, doors open for General Admission ticket holders to enjoy the open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and music by Layla Musselwhite in the garden and ornate ballroom. The evening continues with a silent auction, and a decadent night of reveling in the stunning home and garden, including music by Harry Mayronne. Our hostess for the evening is the inimitable Poppy Tooker.

Now in its 39th year, The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival is grateful to the writers, performing artists, and community arts advocates who have inspired the literary arts community, worked diligently within the community, and supported the Festival’s mission. With that in mind, they have established the Tennessee Williams Distinguished Arts Awards to recognize and honor those who have had a significant impact on the literary arts. This year’s honorees receiving their awards at the gala are Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Excellence in Literary Arts; Bryan Batt, Excellence in Performing Arts; and Priscilla and John Lawrence, Excellence in Arts Advocacy. 

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