HOTEL WILLIAMS

By Tennessee Williams

Directed by Brandon McShaffrey and 4 undergrad directors

November 12 - 18, 2021 (6:30 pm - Sun Matinee @2)

Production Stage Manager: Allison Ogdon

The great works of Tennessee Williams, such as 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 would move 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.  

These short pieces are equally as powerful, but their length means they have not been staged as frequently and while many were published in anthologies and produced in festivals, they did not receive the attention they rightly deserve. Acting as a curator, Brandon McShaffrey has created a way for six of these plays to be produced collectively in rep while enlisting the skills of undergraduate directors. 

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

Located on the northern edge of the Avenue of the Arts, Temple Theaters, the production program of the Department of Theater, has established itself as one of the finest nationally-ranked theater training programs in the nation. Temple University’s Department of Theater offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in acting, design, directing, musical theater, playwriting and theater education. As part of Center for Performing and Cinematic Arts, the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts offers hallmark programs in theater, film and media arts that engage students with nationally and internationally recognized faculty and fuse the high-quality training with rigorous scholarship and artistry.