Temple Theaters to Present HOTEL WILLIAMS

Looking for a getaway? You're not the only one. Check in to HOTEL WILLIAMS. Great works of Tennessee Williams like A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and THE GLASS MENAGERIE, are well-known, but did you know that to stimulate his writing (before, between, and after mega-successes), Williams moved into hotels in cities all over the world? In exotic locations, he would write short plays as character sketches for his larger works. These "drawer" plays experimented with form, style, and tone much more than his commercial works.

HOTEL WILLIAMS will be performed live and in person at Randall Theater, 2020 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 November 12-18. Tickets can be purchased through this ticketing link.

The production, curated by Brandon McShaffrey (Mauckingbird Theatre), explores themes that are ever-present throughout Tennessee Williams' prolific body of work. Love, sexuality, and social class often intermingle as Williams teases apart the threads that hold the world (and his characters) together. Featuring an ensemble of undergraduate actors including Audrey Ward (A Woman of No Importance, Walnut Street Theatre), the short pieces including, IN OUR PROFESSION, TALK TO ME LIKE THE RAIN AND LET ME LISTEN, HELLO FROM BERTHA, GREEN EYES, & THE TRAVELING COMPANION, make up a powerful evening of theater even as their lengths individually mean they have not been staged as frequently.

While many of these were published in anthologies and produced in festivals, they did not receive the attention they rightly deserve. Acting as curator and director, Brandon McShaffrey has created a way for these six plays to be produced collectively while enlisting the skills and talents of four undergraduate directors. It is a combination that makes for a night of theater filled with pathos, wry humor, and the sumptuous haunting feeling that Williams is so adept at creating in his work.

Note: This show contains depiction and discussion of sexual abuse, physical abuse, suicidal ideation, as well as sexual content.