Tennessee In the Summer

March 27, 5:06 PMBay Area Theater ExaminerAmy Marie Boulanger

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“It's an interesting story of collaboration in a difficult economic time.” theatre Q Managing Artistic Director, Dale Albright, spoke of Tennessee in the Summer. After a successful seven week run at San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre Center, the show is moving south for two performances in Palo Alto.   

The additional shows are part of theatre Q's benefit for the upcoming run of Lips Together, Teeth Apart, opening June 4th at the Dragon Theatre.

Operating since 2004, theatre Q’s mission is to promote the LGBT community throughout the Bay Area. Spanning from surrounding cities such as Walnut Creek and Berkeley, the company has performed almost exclusively in Palo Alto, attending as artists in residence at the Dragon Theatre there.

“We try to perform outside the typical LGBT community,” said Albright. Primarily a producer, playwright and director, Albright portrays the legendary playwright of renowned works Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire. So what is it like to get inside the skin of Tennessee Williams?

Guided by director Christopher Jenkins' vision, Albright says, “we try not to go the mimic route.” Rather, Albright has drawn from sources including an interview of the playwright with David Frost, to capture “the essence of who the man was.”

Tennessee in the Summer illustrates Williams’ battle with his personal demons. Written 25 years ago, and boasting around 15 national productions, playwright Joe Besecker's Tennessee poses a series of arguments and temptations between Williams and two formative figures in Williams’ life, his sister and his lover of fourteen years. Through a series of flashbacks, Besecker prods inside the mind of the man who created a succession of haunting and unforgettable characters.

"[Tennessee Williams] was my idol as a kid growing up," the playwright said. Far from wishing to portray the cliched self-desctructive artist, Bedecker saw Williams as translating his personal issues and pains into art, "shining light on his demons." Using Williams' own device of male vs. female, Bedecker's play explores the author through the male/female personalities of Tennessee Williams, threading throughout the majority of the play a female character who symbolizes his alter ego.

Recently, private notebooks of Tennessee Williams, not intended for publication, were discovered. Though a valuable and enlightening resource in the life of the playwright, Bedecker did not attempt to re-write his original play to accomodate the newly found information. "There is no rewriting," the playwright said.

While remaining true to factual details and events, Tennessee in the Summer is not intened to be a biography. It is the exploration into the heart and soul and dark inner depths of a man.

“The idea occurred to me to try to do these [additional] performances as a benefit for my company. The playwright, director, actors and staff at NCTC were completely supportive,” Albright said.

Tennessee in the Summer
by Joe Besecker
Directed by Christopher Jenkins
Starring Dale Albright, Alex Alexander, Jeremy Forbing and Annamarie MacLeod

Two Performances Only:
Saturday, March 28 at 8pm
Sunday, March 29 at 2pm
Location: Dragon Theatre, 535 Alma Street, Palo Alto

For Tickets:  415-433-1235 
Or Visit: www.theatreq.org

infotheatreq@aol.com