Festival 2019
Tennessee Williams & Yukio Mishima
Tennessee Williams & Yukio Mishima, the 14th annual Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, presented the work of Williams alongside plays by Mishima, perhaps Japan's most provocative author. Born a world apart, Williams and Mishima became good friends in the late 1950s. Williams willingly fell under Japanese influence for over a decade, up until Mishima’s death in 1970.
The 2019 Festival included:
The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers by Tennessee Williams, set in 11th century Japan. (World Premiere)
Busu by Yukio Mishima, his only play intended to be performed in English. (World Premiere)
The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams, in a production inspired by Japan’s traditional Noh theatre.
And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens… by Tennessee Williams, in which a New Orleans queen brings a rough sailor into her Japanese garden.
The Angel in the Alcove adapted from a short story by Tennessee Williams, in which an apparition of Williams’ grandmother appears.
The Lighthouse by Yukio Mishima, where unspoken desire breaks the surface of a post-war Japanese family’s life. (English-language Premiere)
The Lady Aoi by Yukio Mishima, a modern Noh play.
The Black Lizard by Yukio Mishima, an outrageous camp classic about a glamorous jewel thief and the handsome detective she enthralls.
The 2019 shows were produced and performed by artists from South Africa, Japan, New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Texas, Oregon, Cyprus, Chatham, and beyond. The festival also featured parties, post-show mixers, workshops, educational classes, Williams 101 discussions, and exclusive donor events throughout the four-day celebration.
The Night of the Iguana
South African and American artists stage Williams' vision of madness, endurance, and grace in a new production inspired by Japan's traditional Noh theater.
The Black Lizard
Mishima’s outrageous camp classic about a glamorous jewel thief and the handsome detective she enthralls.
The Lady from the Village of the Falling Flowers
The power of poetry seals two strangers’ fates in this charming one-act romance set by Williams in ancient Japan.
And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens…
A New Orleans queen brings a rough sailor into her garden.
The Lady Aoi
An apparition haunts a hospital bed in this modern version of an ancient Japanese Noh play. The highly acclaimed production from South Africa is performed with puppets, masks, and live actors.
The Angel in the Alcove
A former boarding-house tenant recalls his strange company in this gritty elegy adapted from a Williams short story.
The Lighthouse
Unspoken desire breaks the surface of a post-war family's placid life in Mishima's passionate drama from 1949, in a new English-language translation.
Kathleen Turner Masterclass
A living legend explores the craft of acting in this one-of-a-kind lesson on how choices are made onstage. Featuring Golden Globe winner and Tony and Academy Award nominee Kathleen Turner, with Festival actors & students.
Yuhua Comes to Town!
It's a night of festivities, music, and laughter — with wigs! Come out for a solo show performed by Yuhua Hamasaki: drag queen, seamstress, dancer, comedian, and star of 'The Black Lizard' on Festival Sunday.
Songs I Learned from my Grandmother
Composer and pianist George Maurer leads an ensemble of Festival artists in a bouquet of music ranging from hymns to Japanese folksongs and Maurer’s new settings of poetry by Williams, Mishima, and Rilke.
Williams 101
This entertaining 90-minute lesson on Tennessee Williams and this year’s plays will brief audiences on the playwrights, with handy insights about our lineup of performances.