St. George’s Episcopal Church will host the grand opening of the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum at the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival. The opening will be on Friday, Oct. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the museum, 106 Sharkey Ave. in Clarksdale.
The museum is in the former church rectory once occupied by young Tom (later Tennessee) Williams and his grandparents, the Reverend Walter E. Dakin and Rosina Otte Dakin, who lived in Clarksdale from 1917-’32 while the Rev. Dakin was the rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church.
The museum will document Williams’ childhood in Clarkdale and his family history; the Rev. Dakin’s time at St. George’s Episcopal Church; and the Clarksdale and Coahoma County people, places and history that Williams featured in his most famous plays.
The mission of the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum is to educate visitors about Clarksdale and Mississippi Delta history as they appear in Williams’ works, and inspire visitors with the story of a Mississippi boy who became one of the world’s greatest playwrights.
The museum will welcome theater artists, especially those preparing for roles and productions of Williams plays; English and theater students and teachers; Mississippi residents and students; and fans of theater and history.
The museum is being curated by Karen Kohlhaas, a New York-based theater director and teacher and a founding member of New York’s Atlantic Theater Company.
Ms. Kohlhaas came to Clarksdale in 2008 to attend the Barefoot documentary workshop.
She’s been making a documentary film on Williams in the Mississippi Delta for the last several years.
Her discoveries while doing research and filming interviews in Clarksdale inspired her to approach St. George’s about founding the museum.
Fundraising, renovations, décor and displays are still in progress.
The Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival was founded by Clarksdale journalist, photographer and author Panny Mayfield, and noted Tennessee Williams scholar Dr. Kenneth Holditch.
Now in its 26th year, the festival has welcomed actors, scholars and attendees from all over Mississippi, the United States, and the world.
A full schedule can be found at www.DeltaWilliamsFestival.com.
To see pictures of the museum’s progress, visit www.TennesseeWilliamsRectoryMuseum.com.
