Tennessee Williams 1982

Tennessee Williams 1982

Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company

Walkerspace

February 14, 2016

Photo courtesy of Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company

Tennessee Williams 1982 is Playhouse Creature Theatre Company’s production of two lesser known and obscure pieces by Tennessee Williams.  A Recluse and His Guest is a world premiere and The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. LeMonde is a New York premier.  Both pieces were completed a year before the playwright’s death (hence the title).  The works are very dark and pessimistic in nature.  They contain graphic sexual abuse scenes.  The main characters in both works are seeking a safe refuge, one by continually moving forward, the other by reverting to a place of optimistic memory.

A Recluse and His Guest takes place in “a far northern town in a remote time.”  Nevrika, a wanderer (played by Kate Skinner) takes shelter with a recluse, Ott (played by Ford Austin).  In a short time she manages to build a home for herself and help him emerge from his fearful hiding.  His deep seeded trepidations eventually push her away.  She comes to a realization, “I think it is life to go on even when it is death to.”

Declan Eells & Kate Skinner in
The Remarkable Rooming House of Mme. LeMonde
Photo courtesy of
Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company

In The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. LeMonde we meet Mint (played by Jade Ziane), a paraplegic living in an attic room of Mme. LeMonde (played by Kate Skinner).  He is sexually abused by LeMonde’s son (played by Declan Eells) on a daily basis.  Mint invites his old school chum, Hall (played by Darwin Patrick Williams), to tea.  Hall rudely neglects Mint and verbally abuses him by recanting his sexual encounters.  Bedlam erupts and is brought to an end by Mme. LeMonde who utters, “The loss of one fool makes room for another.”

Director Cosmin Chivu and the entire cast do an exceptional job creating reality out of these very obscure pieces.  The location of A Recluse and His Guest rings true, and the bizarre activities of The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. LeMonde are motivated by primitive and genuine need.  Strong performances by Kate Skinner, Ford Austin, and Jade Ziane make this a production worth seeing.  Scenic design by Justin West and lighting design by John Eckert are exceptional.  Their use of the space is unique and ingenious.  Director Cosmin Chivu and choreographer Quentin Madia creatively utilize the layout gaining maximum effectiveness and interest in the events that move both plays forward.

Tennessee Williams

It is difficult to gain an accurate perspective of a play when the playwright does not participate in the developmental process that comes with rehearsing its world premiere.  Being that as it may, if you are a Tennessee Williams scholar, aficionado, or fan, this production is for you.  Presently in previews, Tennessee Williams 1982 opens on February 21 and runs through March 13 at Walkerspace on 48 Walker St. in SoHo.

Domenick Danza