Many in water’s path uninsured for flooding
May 25, 2011Friday, May 27
May 27, 2011Two years in development, Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is finally headed to Lockport’s Bayou Playhouse through May 29.
“Of all the shows we’ve done, this is the one I’ve been waiting on,” director Perry Martin said.
“Back when I opened the doors to the Bayou Playhouse, this was the show I knew I most wanted to see onstage.”
But casting Williams’ saucy, mature production required finding the perfect cast, which led to the two-year wait.
“It took a while because we wanted the right actors, the right pros we were looking for,” Martin explained. “We’re a small community theatre, so we can only pay so much. Our leads are paid professionals and it’s hard to compete with New Orleans theatres or movie contracts.”
Now, on the legendary author’s 100th birthday, the right cast and the right director pool their efforts in the spring production.
Cast in the role of Big Daddy Pollitt, one of American theatre’s most iconic figures, is Thibodaux’s favorite chef/actor, Randy Cheramie, executive director at Nicholls State’s John Folse Culinary Institute and a family face on Bayou Playhouse’s stage.
“I first tried playing this role in my 30s,” Cheramie said of Big Daddy. “Now I’m 57 and I’ve just started getting old enough to understand the role.”
Often described as Williams’ reflection of his own upbringing, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is described as an American classic … the tale of a southern family, of fathers and sons and what they leave unspoken.
As the family gathers to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday and the supposed remission of his cancer, Brick, an ex-football player and the favorite son, drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife, Maggie, who in turn is driven hysterical by his rejection. Meanwhile, Grooper, the less favored son, his wife Mae, and their children await their inheritance.
The final reunion riles up memories and revelations.
The production teams Cheramie with nationally recognized actors Liam Kraus (Brick) and Mary Bliss Mather (Maggie the Cat). Also appearing is Trevis Resor (Grooper/Brother Man), Mary Lee Gibbons (May/Sister Woman), and Thibodaux native Joyce Young as Big Momma.
“It’s an interesting look into family dynamics and what families go through … especially monied families,” Cheramie said. “The script runs the gamut of emotions: passion, fury, pride … and that’s all in one scene.”
Director Martin and Cheramie agree “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” received extra attention from the playwright.
“There’s not a single throw-away word in the script,” Martin notes. “He is so amazing in his writing. Every word means something else.”
Martin has had more experience than most with Tennessee Williams’ plays. He’s one of only a few directors selected by Williams’ estate to direct five premiers.
The original script, this is actually the fourth; Williams reworked the show in 1972 at the behest of friend Eli Kazan, is raw … not only with emotions but language, the Bayou Playhouse owner warns.
“A lot of the plays down here have been humorous,” Martin said. “This is not your typical Cajun play. And we’ve agreed to perform it as it is written. I will not censor [the dialogue].
“Theatre is not only about entertainment, it is about education and pushing the envelope,” Martin said. “Audiences should be warned that Tennessee’s work includes a lot of adult language and sexual content.”
But this story is worth the trip to Lockport, Martin promises. “People often come down to the bayou not knowing what to expect,” he said. “What they find is an off-Broadway caliber production right here in Lockport. This show will move and touch people in a way I’ll bet they never expected.”
