The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans to Stage IN THE BAR OF A TOKYO HOTEL

 

The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans's staging of In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel goes up March 25th to coincide with the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. This will be the company's 5th collaboration with the festival, and a production that has been requested by dozens of theatre-and-festival-goers since the company's creation. Actors from as close as New Orleans and as far away as Japan are involved with the show.

The play follows the emotional journey of Miriam, an archetypal Tennessee Williams heroine at the end of her rope, as she wrestles with a potentially fatal decision in the titular setting In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel. She has come to Japan with her husband Mark, a famous artist on the verge of a creative breakthrough and in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Mark's madness has driven Miriam from their shared suite, where her desire and indecision get the better of her-she finds herself faced with the prospect of leaving Mark for her own sanity. Meanwhile, she sees in the young native Barman an opportunity for more bodily distractions. Mark eventually makes his way down to the bar and Miriam's internal tug-of-war becomes more realized. The cast is led by local stage and screen actress Rachel Whitman-Groves as Miriam, with Keith Claverie as Mark, Japanese-born actor Shunsaku Yanai as the Barman, Mack Guillory III as Leonard, and featuring appearances by Anna Toujas.

Director Torey Hayward helms the production.

Tennessee Williams based the play off of his own experiences, which was the playwright's common habit, but he also borrowed story elements from Japanese author Yukio Mishima and biographical inspiration from Jackson Pollock. "While it is an uncommonly produced piece of theatre, in recent years, Tokyo Hotel has gained popularity among Williams-lovers. We are excited to present the festival-goers with an opportunity to enjoy the show's unique place among Williams' plays, and we're also thrilled that our local audience has grown to love coming to see the whole breadth of our signature playwright's imagination," says TWTC Co-Artistic Director Augustin J Correro.

INFORMATION:

WHO:
The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans www.twtheatrenola.com
Box Office: 504-264-2580
Facebook.com/twtheatrenola
www.instagram.com/twtheatrenola

WHERE:
The Lower Depths Theater at Loyola University New Orleans
6301 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118

WHEN:
Runs March 25-April 5; check website for show nights.
All performances are at 8pm except Opening Night, March 25 at 7:30pm.

TICKETS:
www.twtheatrenola.com
$30 General Admission, $15 Students

Photo Credit: James Kelley

 

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