Westport Country Playhouse Hosts Special Events During Suddenly Last Summer

From post-performance discussions to an LGBT Night, Westport Country Playhouse will offer several special events and opportunities surrounding its Tennessee Williams centennial production, "Suddenly Last Summer," written by Williams and directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director. The poetic, sensual and evocative drama plays August 23 - September 10.

Following each performance of "Suddenly Last Summer," post-show salons will be hosted in the Smilow Lounge on The Playhouse's mezzanine level. The salons are designed for audience members to discuss the themes and ideas presented in "Suddenly Last Summer," giving them an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences with one another in an informal setting.

An "LGBT Night Out," for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities and allies, will be on Thursday, August 25, in partnership with Norwalk's Triangle Community Center. The evening will feature a pre-show party at 6:30 p.m. with appetizers from Collyer Catering, adult beverages, music and door prizes, followed by a performance of "Suddenly Last Summer" at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30.

A symposium following the Sunday, August 28, 3 p.m. matinee performance will feature Annette J. Saddik, Ph.D., noted Tennessee Williams scholar, discussing Tennessee Williams, the origins of "Suddenly Last Summer," and the playwright's fascination with the darker aspects of human experience. Moderated by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director, The Playhouse Sunday Symposium program is free and open to the public. It provides the audience with guest speakers' in-depth insights and observations about the production, followed by an interactive dialogue. The Sunday Symposium Series is sponsored by Citi Personal Wealth Management. It is supported, in part, by the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

A special performance by acclaimed actor Richard Thomas in "A Distant Country Called Youth," based on a collection of lively and evocative letters written by a young Tennessee Williams, will be staged on Monday, August 29, 7 p.m. A Q&A with Richard Thomas and Steve Lawson, director, moderated by Anne Keefe, Playhouse artistic advisor, will follow the performance. Tickets to the one-night-only event are $15. The production is adapted by Steve Lawson from "The Selected Letters of Tennessee Williams, Vol. I, 1920-1945," edited by Albert J. Devlin and Nancy M. Tischler. "A Distant Country Called Youth" is supported in part through grants by the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation and Newman's Own Foundation.

"Together at the Table," where families enjoy a communal dinner by Rizzuto's and casual conversation about "Suddenly Last Summer," is scheduled on Wednesday, August 31, at 6:30 p.m., in The Playhouse's rehearsal barn, followed by an 8 p.m. performance. Tickets are $10 for dinner and show. Recommended for ages 16 and up; must attend as a family group with student-age children.

Backstage Pass on Wednesday, September 7, following the 2 p.m. matinee, will provide an opportunity to meet members of The Playhouse production staff as they share the finer points of what makes "Suddenly Last Summer" work on the stage---from moveable scenery to special effects.

Thursday Talkback on Thursday, September 8, following the 8 p.m. performance, is a lively Q&A with the cast.

Set in the New Orleans' Garden District in 1935, "Suddenly Last Summer" tells of a handsome poet who has died under mysterious circumstances. Only the beautiful young woman who was there knows the shocking truth of what happened. Will she tell her story no matter the consequences, or succumb to the pressure to protect the legacy of an influential and powerful family?
Board of Trustees Production Sponsor is Howard J. Aibel. Corporate Production Sponsor is Fidelity Investments. Corporate Production Partner is Sun Products. 2011 season sponsor is KPMG; 2011 media sponsors are Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio Group.

Westport Country Playhouse's five-play 2011 season continues with "Twelfth Night, or What You Will," the beguiling comedy/romance, written by William Shakespeare and directed by Mark Lamos, October 11 - November 5.

Students and educators are eligible for 50% discounts. All Friday evening performances are $25 for patrons aged 35 and under. Groups of 10 or more save up to 30%.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to The Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse) or get an insider's peek on The Playhouse Blog (www.theplayhouseblog.org).

About The Playhouse

Reimagining itself in recent years, Westport Country Playhouse is rapidly emerging as a nationally recognized professional theater. Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management direction of Michael Ross, The Playhouse creates five live theater experiences, produced at the highest level, from April through November. Its vital mix of works---dramatic, comedic, occasionally exploratory and unusual---expands the audience's sense of what theater can be. The depth and scope of its productions display the foremost theatrical literature from the past---recent as well as distant---in addition to musicals and premieres of new plays. During the summer, The Playhouse is home to the Woodward Internship Program, renowned for the training of aspiring theater professionals. Winter at The Playhouse, from November through March, offers events outside of the main season---Family Festivities presentations, Script in Hand play readings and a Holiday Festival. In addition, businesses and organizations are encouraged to rent the handsome facility for their meetings, receptions and fundraisers.

As an historic venue, Westport Country Playhouse has had many different lives leading up to the present. Originally built in 1835 as a tannery manufacturing hatters' leathers, it became a steam-powered cider mill in 1880, later to be abandoned in the 1920s. Splendidly transformed into a theater in 1931, it initially served as a try-out house for Broadway transfers, evolving into an established stop on the New England straw hat circuit of summer stock theaters through the end of the 20th century.

Today, the not-for-profit Westport Country Playhouse serves as a cultural nexus for patrons, artists and students and is a treasured resource for the State of Connecticut. There are no boundaries to the creative thinking for future seasons or the kinds of audiences and excitement for theater that Westport Country Playhouse can build.
Westport Country Playhouse's five-play 2011 season: "Beyond Therapy," a wicked, and wickedly funny, look at the days and nights of the young and single, written by comic master Christopher Durang and directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director, April 26 - May 14; "The Circle," the scintillating comedy of manners, written by W. Somerset Maugham and directed by Nicholas Martin, June 7 - June 25; "Lips Together, Teeth Apart," a perceptive comedy about people struggling against their limitations, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, July 12 - July 30; "Suddenly Last Summer," the poetic, sensual and evocative drama, written by Tennessee Williams and directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director, August 23 - September 10; and "Twelfth Night, or What You Will," the beguiling comedy/romance, written by William Shakespeare and directed by Mark Lamos, October 11 - November 5.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to The Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse) or get an insider's peek on The Playhouse Blog (www.theplayhouseblog.org).