Me and Tennessee

Email your pix to us and we’ll share on our Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Take Our Survey

We hope you found the 2012 Festival enriching and entertaining. Take our survey for a chance to win a free Stella-a-a! tank top.

Festival Wrap-Up

Thank you all so much for joining us to celebrate the 26^th annual Festival! Friends came from near and far, from French Quarter regulars to fans from far flung countries like Australia, China, and Trinidad.

It was a whirlwind weekend: Tom Sancton and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band tugged at our heartstrings at the Song for My Fathers gala (Pictured, photo by Ride Hamilton); audiences were spellbound by a conversation with Piper Laurie, Bryan Batt, and Christian LeBlanc; rumbling bellies were appeased at Home is Where the Heart Is: Cooking for the Family with Chef John Besh; and the city’s most lauded jazz musicians brought down the house at Swinging the Hippest of the Standards.

Missed the Festival? Check out the 2012 Program to see our panels and Master Classes. We’ll have audio recordings of selected events available for purchase very soon in our audio store. We’ll also send out a newsletter to let you know when they’re ready. Meanwhile, peruse the many inspiring downloads available from years past.

Want to get a jumpstart on planning your next Festival? Mark your calendars for the 27^th Festival on March 20-24, 2013.

Festival Figures

Back at the office, we’re tallying up everything that went into making it a truly memorable weekend. Here are a few of our Festival figures:

• 8,000+ audience seats filled at 34 panels, 8 theater performances, 8 special events, 8 master classes, 6 walking tours, the Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference, and writeNOW, our educational outreach program
• 150+ authors, thespians, musicians, chefs, and performers (including opera singers, belly dancers, and burlesque performers)
• 180 invaluable volunteers who helped take tickets, sell concessions, register guests, and man the info desk and box office
• 33 generous sponsors and 160 Friends of Tennessee who keep the literary arts vibrant and accessible
• 25 exceptionally loud Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest contenders (Pictured: Nicole Martin, whose powerful pipes earned her the top prize. Photo by Earl Perry.)
• 60 gallons of mint juleps dispensed at our booth at the Road Food Festival
• 50+ autographed books by Festival authors given to the grand prize winner of our first-ever Festival raffle

Top 3 Attended Literary Panel Discussions

1. New Orleans Free People of Color
2. Living Out Loud: A Conversation with Piper Laurie (Pictured: Piper Laurie signing copies of her new memoir, Learning to Live Out Loud. Photo by Earl Perry.)
3. TIE: Between the Lionels: Living Treasures of New Orleans Music and It’s Getting Ugly Out There: Politics in an Election Year

2012 Festival in the News

Press clips of the 2012 Festival events.

Our Lucky, Lucky Raffle Winners!

Check out the results of the draw.

Our Box Office Moves Onsite!

Our online Box Office is now closed as we move onsite to set up for the Festival.

Last Minute Festival Info

Our box office will close on Tuesday, March 20 at 12:00 PM CST. It will open again onsite at the Hotel Monteleone on Thursday, March 22th through Sunday, March 26th from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST. Click the title to read more.

Schedule Changes

New Event
Bon Operatit! on the Balcony: Songs from Andre Previn’s Opera, “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Tennessee Williams inspired many composers to adapt his works for the operatic stage including Andre Previn’s opera A Streetcar Named Desire and Lee Hoiby’s Summer and Smoke as well as Lord Byron’s Love Letter by Raffaello de Banfield, which takes place in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Today, Bon Operatit’s (pictured) focus is on Previn’s ode to Tennessee. Limited seating provided. Sponsored by the Shops at the Upper Pontalba Building on Jackson Square.
Time: Friday, March 23 at 4:00 PM
Location: Balcony at 520 St. Peters Street, Upper Pontalba on Jackson Square
Price: Free and open to the public

Williams’ Sexual Politics
Added Panelist: Will Brantley
Due to scheduling conflicts, Amanda Plummer is not able to participate.
Time: Saturday, March 24 at 1:00 PM
Location: Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street

Nick Spitzer: Music in the Cultural Conversation
Time: Saturday, March 24 at 2:30 PM
Location Change: Moved from Hotel Monteleone, Royal Ballroom to Hotel Monteleone, La Novelle Ballroom

Talking Tennessee: A Conversation with Piper Laurie, Bryan Batt, and Christian LeBlanc
Join these talented actors as they recount their experiences with Tennessee Williams’ words and works. They’ll discuss our namesake’s imprint on American theater, as well as his inspiration to them as actors. A highlight of the discussion will be Ms. Laurie reminiscing about her time playing the role of Laura Wingfield in the acclaimed 1965 revival of The Glass Menagerie on Broadway opposite Maureen Stapleton’s Amanda, Pat Hingle’s Gentleman Caller, and George Grizzard’s Tom. Facilitated by Foster Hirsch. Sponsored by Hendrick’s Gin.
Added Thespians: Bryan Batt and Christian LeBlanc
Due to scheduling conflicts, Amanda Plummer is not able to participate.
Time: Sunday, March 25 at 1:00 PM
Location: Hotel Monteleone, Royal Ballroom

New Event
Selected Scenes from Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling
We invite you to take a trip to Northwest Louisiana to visit Truvy’s beauty parlor in this comedy–drama play reading about the bond among a group of Southern women who are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel. This staged reading is directed by Perry Martin and features the Bayou Playhouse production with actresses Kathryn Tabot, Daphney Hernandez, Jillian Vedros-Rowan, Pat Hornsby Crochet, Jackie Freeman, and Abby Lake. Steel Magnolias made its New York premiere 25 years ago, and has since become a theatrical classic. Beer will be generously available and donated by Stella Artois. 
Time: Sunday, March 25 at 2:30 PM
Location: Hotel Monteleone, La Nouvelle Ballroom

Susan Larson’s Blog: The Kindness of Writers, Part Deux

Alex Cook takes readers on a whirlwind tour of good times in south Louisiana.

Mint Juleps, Book Fair, Stella, and More!

The 26th annual Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival is only days away! We’re busy putting the finishing touches to what we’re hoping will be the best Fest yet.

Mint Juleps at the Road Food Festival
Refresh yourself between events with one of our famous, signature mint juleps at our booth at the New Orleans Road Food Festival. We’ll be at the French Market on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. Our juleps will be served in special Mardi Gras keepsake cups! Read all about Maureen Detweiler’s Mint Julep Mix for a Crowd (pictured).

Our New Orleans To Do List

Support our wonderful Festival sponsors with your patronage.

Last Call! 50% Off Theater Tickets – Three Days Only

Buy your tickets now! Hurry, offer ends Tuesday, March 20 at 12:00PM CST. Limited number of tickets available.

Q&A with Elena Passarello, the 2011 Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest Winner

We caught up with Elena to learn the secret of a winning shout.

Susan Larson’s Blog: Piper Laurie’s Got Tales to Tell

And in Learning to Live Out Loud, her own is the most interesting of all.

Every fan of movies and plays and television has a favorite version of Piper Laurie — in The Hustler, The Glass Menagerie, Twin Peaks, The Grass Harp or Rich in Love, the list just goes on and on — but after reading Learning to Live Out Loud, you may find that your favorite version of her is the true, complex woman behind all those well-known roles. Piper Laurie is a truth-teller, that’s for sure.

2-for-1 Ticket Offers for “Glass Mendacity” and “Steel Magnolias”

Hurry! Offer ends Tuesday, March 20, 2012.

Auction: Dine at Tennessee’s Table at Galatoire’s

Here’s your chance to live like Tennessee! During the Fest, eat at our namesake’s usual table on the first floor of the famed restaurant.

Listen to WTUL 91.5 FM and Win Panel Passes!

Set your radio on Monday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 13.

Susan Larson’s Blog: For the Aspiring Writers

We know that readers love the Tennessee Williams Festival. But writers love it too! They enter our contests in fiction and poetry, they gain inspiration from master classes, and this year, we’ve added two events that are designed for aspiring writers: the New Orleans Writing Marathon and Pitchapalooza.

Priceless Raffle: Win the Festival Library!

Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win our 2012 Festival library, a collection of over 50 prize-winning books, films and CDs by speakers appearing at the Festival. The grand prize is worth over $2,000, and is great way to take the Festival home with you. For a chance to win these prizes, buy a raffle ticket ($5) or three ($10).

Susan Larson’s Blog: Late Night with Lafcadio!

A Q&A with the People Say Project’s Brian Boyles and Jarret Lofstead. We’re teaming up with these innovative minds to bring you the Literary Late Night: Lafcadio Hearn Revue.

Check us out in 360 West Magazine and The Tulane Hullabaloo

360 West, a lifestyle magazine from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, gives the scoop on the Festival experience in New Orleans Gets Booked Up.

And Tulane University talks Streetcar and Shouting Contest in Pop Culture Inspired by New Orleans.

2012 Poetry Contest Results

We’re delighted to announce the finalists and the grand prize winner of our 2nd Annual Poetry Contest, selected by Louisiana Poet Laureate Julie Kane.

New Theater Event: Selected Scenes from “Steel Magnolias” by Robert Harling

We invite you to take a trip to Northwest Louisiana to visit Truvy’s beauty parlor in this comedy–drama play reading about the bond among a group of Southern women who are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel. This staged reading is directed by Perry Martin and features the Bayou Playhouse production with actresses Kathryn Tabot, Daphney Hernandez, Jillian Vedros-Rowan, Pat Hornsby Crochet, Jackie Freeman, and Abby Lake. Steel Magnolias made its New York premiere 25 years ago, and has since become a theatrical classic. Buy your ticket now!

Time: 2:30 P.M. on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Location: Hotel Monteleone, La Nouvelle Ballroom
Price: $25
Ticket Codes: SteelSun230pm, AllAccessPass
Ticket Types: Theater Ticket, All Access Pass

Outdoor Screening of “A Streetcar Named Desire” on Friday, March 9

Get your tickets ($3-6 plus booking fee), grab a blanket, and head to the New Orleans Museum of Art’s gorgeous Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

Festival President on GoNOLA Radio

Listen to a preview of the Festival’s events from our board president Janet Daley Duval on GoNOLA Radio here. All the events she mentioned can be found on our schedule. Tickets are available via our order form.

Fiction Contest Finalists

We’re thrilled to announce the finalists of our 2012 Fiction Contest as chosen by our judge Amy Hempel.

New Drummer and Smoke Event

Don’t miss our newest Drummer and Smoke event, Swinging the Hippest of the Standards! Join some of New Orleans’ most lauded jazz musicians as they perform selections that have come to be recognized as modern jazz classics or standards.

Time: 2:30 P.M. on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Location: Palm Court Jazz Café, 1204 Decatur Street
Ticket Types:  All Access Pass, Literary Panel Pass, Student Panel Pass, Teacher/Senior Citizen Literary Panel Pass, One Day Festival Panel Pass, Single Panel Ticket (only available on site)

“Streetcar Named Desire” Time Change

Please note that the following events have changed times:

• A Streetcar Named Desire: Thursday, March 22th at 7:30 PM
• A Streetcar Named Desire: Friday, March 23th at 7:30 PM
• A Streetcar Named Desire: Saturday, March 24th at 7:30 PM

Sold Out Events: Breakfast Book Club and New Orleans Food Memories

Due to the high volume of Summer and Holiday Special All Access Ticket holders, the following events have sold out:

• Breakfast Book Club: Saturday, March 24th at 8:00 AM
• New Orleans Food Memories: Sunday, March 25th at 11:30 AM

We’re looking into adding seats and are beginning a wait list.

If you’re interested in tickets to any of these sold out events, please send an email to info@tennesseewilliams.net with the words WAIT LIST in the subject line. Please include your contact information (phone number and email), the event you’d like to attend, and the number of tickets you’d like to purchase. Someone from our office will contact you should a space become available.

The 2012 Program is online!

John Guare, Amy Hempel, Piper Laurie, Victor Navasky, and Jesmyn Ward are just some our headliners. Plus, a full production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella Shouting Contest, and more.