THE ROSE TATTOO to Open at Tennessee Williams Theatre Company in New Orleans
Kristin Witt stars as Serafina Delle Rose at Loyola University's Marquette Theatre.
The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans will present THE ROSE TATTOO, the theatrical event of the summer in New Orleans. Preview performances begin Thursday, July 23, with opening night on Friday, July 24, at the Marquette Theatre on the campus of Loyola University New Orleans.
Presented as part of TWTC's 11th Anniversary Season, The Rose Tattoo continues the company's nationally recognized mission of producing bold, artistically ambitious interpretations of Tennessee Williams' work while celebrating his enduring connection to New Orleans.
Inspired by Williams' longtime partner Frank Merlo and his deep affection for Italian culture, The Rose Tattoo is among the playwright's warmest, funniest, and most life-affirming works. Bursting with passion, humor, sensuality, and hope, the play explores what it means to find love—and yourself—after unimaginable loss.
Kristin Witt stars as Serafina Delle Rose, a fiery Sicilian widow whose life is shattered after the sudden death of her husband, leaving her to raise her daughter Rosa (Lauren Van Mullem) alone. Withdrawn into years of mourning, Serafina believes her capacity for love has vanished forever. But a series of unexpected—and often hilarious—encounters begin pulling her back toward life, culminating in the arrival of Alvaro (Nick DiJulio), an irresistibly charming truck driver whose warmth and exuberance challenge everything she thought she had lost.
'The Rose Tattoo was Williams' love letter to his longtime partner and to Italy and the Italian people. It's bursting with warmth, humor, sensuality, and contradiction—like any passionate romance. Our cast brings such heart to the production that you can't help but love everyone on stage, in one way or another,' says director and TWTC Co-Founding Artistic Director Augustin J. Correro. 'The play is so delightfully silly and over-the-top that it's almost operatic, while remaining deeply human and emotionally relatable. In the play, as in life, we're all clowns from time to time.'
Co-Founding Artistic Director Nick Shackleford adds, 'The Rose Tattoo reminds us that grief and joy are never as far apart as we think. At its heart, this is a play about rediscovering life after unimaginable loss. It's funny, sensual, deeply moving, and, perhaps more than any other Williams play, leaves audiences believing in the possibility of renewal. That's a story worth telling right now.'
Lighting design is by Diane K. Baas, scenic design by Nathan Arthur, costume design by Brik Allen, props design by Puck Morris, and sound design by TWTC Co-Founding Artistic Director Nick Shackleford. Maddie Taliancich serves as Production Manager, with Ryan Darby as Stage Manager and Avery Colle as Assistant Stage Manager.
The cast also features Quinn Lapeyrouse, Alex Martinez Wallace, Daphne Armbruster, Adam Breaux, Desiree Burrell, Lalanya Gunn, Kelley Holcomb, and Kalimah Williams, with New Orleans theatre legends Gwendolyn Foxworth and Janet Shea.
TWTC's eleventh anniversary season celebrates transformation, resilience, and the enduring power of live theatre. The Rose Tattoo continues the company's mission to present both beloved classics and rarely produced works by Tennessee Williams through bold artistic vision, exceptional local talent, and productions that illuminate the enduring relevance of one of America's greatest playwrights.
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