I was the lead in the third grade play at Westside School in West Point, Mississippi in the late 1960s.
I played the part of David and fought Goliath in the Vacation Bible School play at First Baptist Church a couple of years later.
At Moo U, a date and I could get into a Blackfriars production by showing a student ID. They presented well known plays that were well done, once a semester. I was a cheap date.
I worked with the props and painted the backdrops for the performance of the Sound of Music in Texas.
And while I have been to New York City numerous times, I have never taken in a Broadway play.
My youngest son was recently treated to Hamilton by his New York girlfriend. This big, tall and bearded man gushed about the experience.
I hope one day I get to buy a Broadway ticket in the Big Apple.
Art for everybody
The Blues ain’t for everybody and neither are Tennessee Williams’ plays.
Look around, Clarksdale has a broad arts scene that is very unique for a town this size.
I’ve done stories on multiple artists since I came to town and their paintings ranged from the macabre to the religious and from landscapes to portraits. I’ve even interviewed sculptors who worked in iron or chiseled away with a chainsaw.
Then there are the woodworkers who turn bowls. We’ve got seamstresses who sew quilts. I’ll even throw in the car buffs who take a pile of junk and turn it into a pristine vintage auto.
The Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival is just another dish for those seeking to get a taste of this place we call home.
Clarksdale Theater
I understand Clarksdale once had a pretty active theater troupe.
Coffee shop talk said they used to perform regularly at the Paramount many moons ago.
The old timers said they carried dates to these events. The younger ones reeled off the names of local singers who performed musicals in what they said were productions worth the price of admission.
Clarksdale needs an active theater company.
Playing the part
I was forced to read The Glass Menagerie in the 10th Grade.
It’s the perfect play for insecure teenagers trying to figure out people in this world.
It is called a memory play and has autobiographical tones that reflect a lot of Tennessee Williams’ life in the Mississippi Delta.
I read it again when I came to Clarksdale. You and I know the characters from real life around here.
There’s Tom, the hard worker with a dream of being a poet; Laura, the fragile child who lives in a world of her own; and Amanda, the abandoned woman seeking a little comfort in her life.
It’s also been neat to learn the places in Tennessee Williams’ plays inspired by Clarksdale.
And I’ll leave you with this one . . . did you know Tennessee Williams even wrote science fiction?
Locals rule
So get out this weekend and take in a little Delta culture at the Tennessee Williams Festival.
You will see people you know. You’ll meet people from across this great nation, who are trying to figure out where “Ole Tom” is coming from.
After 31 years festival organizers have gotten this thing down to a fine art. It is a different kind of fun.
Most importantly, take a deep drink of that Mississippi Delta heritage that is all around you.
The Delta shaped Tennessee Williams. It continues to shape anyone who comes here, even if only for a weekend.
Floyd Ingram is the Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. He is a want-a-be writer frustrated by a real world. Call him at 662-627-2201 with your fears and passions.
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