For its first show of the 2008-09 season, Greenwood Little Theatre will present "Three by Tennessee," a collection of three one-act plays by Mississippi-born writer Tennessee Williams.
The production will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The shows will include "Mr. Paradise," "Summer at the Lake" and "Portrait of a Madonna."
Bobby VanDevender, who is directing "Summer at the Lake" and playing the title character in "Mr. Paradise," said the group wanted to host a night of plays by Southern writers and as the idea developed they decided on three Tennessee Williams plays.
Williams was born in Columbus and lived in Clarksdale for several years with his family before moving to St. Louis. He grew up to become one of America's most critically acclaimed novelists and playwrights, and paved the way for contemporary Southern literature with his writing, including works such as "A Streetcar Named Desire," "The Glass Menagerie" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
Two of the plays that will be featured in "Three by Tennessee," "Mr. Paradise" and "Summer at the Lake," were recently discovered in 2004.
"GLT audience members will be some of the first to ever see these shows," said Elaine Tharpe, who will appear in "Portrait of a Madonna."
In "Mr. Paradise," directed by Cathy Roberts, a young society girl (played by Katelin Roberts) finds a book of poems in a New Orleans antique shop. She searches for the author of the book, Anthony Paradise (VanDevender), and discovers that he is an aging poet living in the French Quarter.
The young woman is determined to reintroduce Paradise to the literary world, but he resists because of his failing health and the approach of World War II and instead wants her to discover him after his death.
"Summer at the Lake" tells the story of a domineering mother (Connie Black), her teenage son (Lawson Daves) and the family maid (Gwen Riley), who are spending the summer together at a lake house.
The mother learns that her husband will be selling the lake house as part of their divorce settlement, forcing her to vacate the house and her son to take a job in a warehouse. Meanwhile, the young man makes plans to escape his overbearing mother and the responsibilities of approaching adulthood.
"It's really just a character study of a strange relationship between a mother and son that has an unexpected conclusion," VanDevender said.
This is the third Tennessee Williams collaboration for Black and VanDevender.
"Portrait of a Madonna," directed by Lawson Daves and Katelin Roberts, takes place in an apartment building, where everyone knows that their neighbor, a deranged and impoverished spinster (Tharpe), is insane.
"She's extremely crazy, very much so," Tharpe said. "It manages to be tragic and funny at the same time."
The woman calls down to the building manager (Stacy Joiner) to report an intruder. While the porter (Steven Gray) and the elevator boy (Kelton Cochran) distract her with an investigation, a doctor (Don Hummel) and his nurse (Cathy Roberts) are called to take her to an institution.
Tharpe said it was fun being directed by Pillow Academy students Daves and Roberts.
"They're seeing Tennessee Williams through young eyes," Tharpe said.
There will be intermissions between the plays, during which Belva Pleasants will provide a buffet offering Southern food and drinks for theater guests.
These plays contain mature themes and are not intended for children. Parental guidance is suggested.
Tickets to the shows are $15 per person and may be purchased at the door. Season tickets also are available for $30 for adults and $15 for students.
Following "Three by Tennessee," Greenwood Little Theatre's 2008-09 season will include "A Night on Broadway" with Connie Black and Cham Trotter in November, the comedy "No Time for Sergeants" in February and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in May.
For more information, call GLT President Buddy Mortimer at 283-2406 or visit www.greenwoodlittletheatre.com.
