2021 MDTWF Program Booklet

Photo by Phylis Cerf Wagner in 1954 in the studio of the East Fi y‐eighth Street apartment Richard Leavi Collec on of Tennessee Williams, MS 2065 University of Tennessee at Knoxville — Libraries 2

Welcome to the 29th Annual Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival Dear Friends — We want to welcome you to the 29th Annual MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival. Whether you are joining us online or in-person, we want to thank you for supporting this unique literary festival that celebrates the life and work of Tennessee Williams while honoring the people and places of the MS Delta that inspired him.

This year’s festival is dedicated to the late Dr. Ralph Voss, a great scholar and long-time supporter of the MDTWF for many years. Dr. Colby Kullman, another long-time supporter and participant at our festival over the years, has written a beautiful tribute to Ralph shared on the next page. We will also welcome his family to a special dedication program set for Friday at 4:45 pm.

The play in focus this year is the 1947 Pulitzer Prize winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire. The festival will offer scholarly presentations, live performances, a screening of the 1951 Academy Award winning film A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, a picnic on the grand lawn of the Cutrer Mansion, the ever-popular Student Drama Competition (which will be fully virtual again this year), Porch Plays and an after party for in-person guests at the world famous Uncle Henry’s Place on beautiful Moon Lake in Coahoma County.

In our ongoing commitment to both community safety and community access, we have a hybrid plan in place to accommodate these challenging times. The festival will offer a socially distanced, masks encouraged, outdoor in-person festival in Clarksdale, along with a fully produced professional online stream in hopes of accommodating as many people as safely as possible.

Most festival performances and programming will be available in our ADA compliant event space at the Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale and most programs will be available on our YouTube streaming platform at https://bit.ly/tennfest as well.

We also want to highlight this year’s poster on the front cover, created by artist CM Dugan, which features the Cutrer Mansion representing Belle Reve, the ancestral home of Blanche Dubois. The photo of Tennessee Williams to the left is one of our favorites from the Richard Leavitt Collection at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

As we live through another challenging year, we again embrace and welcome the Arts and Humanities and their ability to help us grow and escape. Enjoy!

Sincerely, Matt Foss and Jen Waller, Co-Directors, MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival 2021

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Photo of Dr. Ralph Voss by Panny Flau Mayfield Photo taken at the Centennial Celebra on on March 26, 2011 Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale 4

Tribute to Dr. Ralph Voss By his friend, Dr. Colby Kullman No ordinary man, Ralph Voss combined great humility and extraordinary compassion with intellectual curiosity and story-telling prowess. He sported many hats with exceptional brilliance: a loving husband, father and grandfather; a “best friend” to many; a “giver” to the communities he embraced; and a “sympathetic understanding” for others in need. With few exceptions, Tennessee Williams could ϐind a place in his heart for his suffering, distressed characters like Amanda Wingϐield, Stanley Kowalski, “Boss” Finley, and Alma Weinmiller. He and Ralph were kindred spirits as Ralph had the same remarkable ability to be kind to those troubled souls he met making their worlds better because he had been there and understood.

Ralph’s passion for the theatre knew no limits. As early as few months ago, he was looking forward to teaching a selection of Williams’s plays for a senior course for the Osher Life Learning Institute. Years before, he organized his own Williams “Magical Muse” celebration at the University of Alabama and then published a collection of essays Magical Muse: Millennial Essays on Tennessee Williams (2002).

Being a featured speaker for many years at the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival gave him great pleasure. It was an opportunity not to be missed. The student acting competition and porch plays always received his highest praise as he celebrated the program’s ability to bring young folks into Williams’s world of theatre with the Mississippi Delta as background for the action.

Ralph also focused his scholarly attentions on playwright William Inge (A Life of William Inge: The Strains of Triumph, 1989) and biographer Truman Capote (Truman Capote and the Legacy of Blood, 2015). He is equally well-known as a rhetorician with Holt’s Elements of Practical Writing and both editions of The Heath Guide to College Writing to his credit.

Central to Ralph’s productive life was his wife Glenda Weathers, an emeritus English Professor and Chair at Montevallo State University. They were the “A Team.” This fact may be proven by their co-authored C. Diff: Our Gut-Wrenching Road to Recovery, the narrative of the patient and his wife as they struggled with this disease with emphasis on the research and treatment that lead to healing.

Dear Ralph -- thanks for the memories! As if in the movie version of William Inge’s Picnic, we hear the sounds of “Moonglow” in the wings. Rest in Peace!

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021 4:00 PM CST

STREAM BEGINS WITH WELCOME VIDEO

4:00 – 4:30 PM CST

FESTIVAL WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Welcome by Dr. Valmadge Towner, President of Coahoma Community College and a special musical performance by the Coahoma Community College choir ensemble under the direction of Dr. Kelvin Towers.

4:30 – 5:30 PM CST

PROLOGUE TO A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

BY KAREN KOHLHAAS

The 1947 Pulitzer Prize winning play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is the primary focus of the 29th annual Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams festival this year. Williams historian and director of the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum, Karen Kolhaas, will present an insightful prologue to the festival giving context to Clarksdale’s connections to the play and its development.

5:30 PM

PREVIEW OF FRIDAY’S EVENTS AND END OF STREAM (IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

An update and preview on all events, for both in-person guests and our festival stream audience, as we finish the on -line portion of the festival for the day.

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM CST

DELTA LAWN PARTY at CUTRER MANSION (IN-PERSON ONLY)

In-person guests are invited to a picnic on the grand lawn of the Cutrer Mansion featuring music by local singer, songwriter and artist, Jaxx Nassar. Bring your own lawn chairs, picnic blankets and beverages. We will have picnic boxes by Chris Green for sale for $20. They will include chicken bites, marinated shrimp, corn dip and a small salad with gourmet crackers and literary cookies. The picnic boxes must be pre-ordered by October 11 by contacting Jen Waller at 662-645-3555 or at jenwaller05@gmail.com or Taylor Armstrong at 662-621-9344 at cchecassistant@gmail.com. Remember to socially distance and wear masks when not eating or drinking.

7:00 – 9:30 PM CST

SCREENING OF 1951 FILM A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

With a live-performance prologue from our professional acting company, we are excited to screen the 1951 Academy Award winning film, A Streetcar Named Desire on the Grand Lawn of the Cutrer Mansion in a “Walk-In Movie Theatre”. Bring your most comfortable chair and favorite beverages and snacks. The film and performance will start at 7:00 pm on a large 16’ X 9’ professional grade screen with professional projection and audio.

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE FRIDAY, October 15, 2021 9:00 AM CST

STREAM BEGINS WITH WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION -- DAY #2 (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

9:00 AM -- 10:00 AM CST

KEYNOTE ADDRESS – DR. KENNETH HOLDITCH (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Renowned Tennessee Williams scholar, Dr. Kenneth Holditch offers his annual Keynote Address, recorded from his home in New Orleans. Dr. Holditch’s annual address always gives special insights into the world of Tennessee Williams, his plays and his characters. This year’s lecture focused on A Streetcar Named Desire will be no different as he discusses the relationship between Williams, the Crescent City and the MS Delta.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

POETRY OF PLACE WITH DR. ANN FISHER-WIRTH & ACTING COMPANY (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

The dynamic and diverse neighborhoods of New Orleans and the rich landscape of the Mississippi Delta provide both backdrop and inspiration for Williams’ writing in A Streetcar Named Desire. Dr. Ann Fisher-Wirth from the University of Mississippi leads an examination of how a sense of place can impact a writer and how that carries out through their words and work featuring performances from the festival’s 2021 Professional Acting Company.

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CST

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN (PAUSE STREAM)

Enjoy one of Clarksdale’s many fine restaurants downtown or beyond before we gather for the afternoon programming. For a list of local restaurants, go to Visitclarksdale.com 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CST

Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum OPEN 106 Sharkey Avenue / Clarksdale

1:00 PM CST

STREAM BACK ONLINE

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CST

BLACK VOICES

BY THE BLUES CITY CULTURAL CENTER (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Black Voices is a performance featuring the work of the Delta’s preeminent black authors, writers and artists, created by the ensemble of Memphis’ Blues City Cultural Center led by Professor Levi Frazier, former associate professor at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE FRIDAY, October 15, 2021 continued 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM CST

DIVERSITY OF THE DELTA PANEL (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams sets the home of his characters in a diverse New Orleans neighborhood of people trying to make their way amidst significant economic, historical and political obstacles. This is the story of the same places and peoples in the Delta, navigating the same. This discussion features scholars Dr. J. Janice Coleman, Levi and Deborah Frazier, Ayana C. Williams and Gilroy Chow. This panel weaves stories and experiences together with the history of the diverse people who make up the Delta.

3:45 PM – 4:45 PM CST

PRESENTATION BY DR. PAIGE MCGINLEY WITH SPECIAL GUEST LUCIOUS SPILLER IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Dr. Paige McGinley, Associate Professor of Performing Arts and American Culture Studies at Washington University in St. Louis and the author of the award-winning Staging the Blues: From Tent Shows to Tourism, shares her research discoveries about the 1955 Broadway premiere of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and the substantial — but little acknowledged on-stage roles played by Piedmont blues musicians Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Local favorite blues guitarist Lucious Spiller offers his interpretation of several of the play’s original songs and invites listeners to consider how music might serve as a companion or counterpoint to on-stage action.

4:45 PM CST

PRESENTATION TO THE FAMILY OF DR. RALPH VOSS (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

As previously announced, the 2021 Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival is dedicated to long-time supporter and festival participant, the late Dr. Ralph Voss. For years, Dr. Voss served the festival in a variety of roles including academic advisor, panelist, and scholar and as the Keynote Speaker for the Williams Centennial Celebration on March 26, 2011 in Clarksdale. Key festival organizer and director emeritus, Panny Mayfield, will present a special award to the Voss family honoring his legacy with the festival and Dr. Matt Foss will read the remarks written by Dr. Colby Kullman especially for this occasion.

5:00 PM CST

FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PREVIEWS (END OF STREAM)

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM CST

OUTDOOR WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTION (IN-PERSON ONLY) EVA CONNELL’S HOUSE, 107 RIDGE ROAD, CLARKSDALE

In-person guests are invited to the home of Eva Connell, long-time festival volunteer and supporter. Eva will host an outdoor wine and cheese reception on the front lawn and terrace. A brief performance about the music and vibrancy of the play A Streetcar Named Desire will take place at 6:00 pm. It will feature our acting company and local musician Lucious Spiller. Then enjoy an evening out on the town in Clarksdale. For a list of venues and places to go and see, go to https://visitclarksdale.com

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE SATURDAY, October 16, 2021 9:00 AM CST

STREAM BEGINS WITH WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION -- DAY #3 (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

9:00 AM – 12:00 NOON CST

STUDENT MONOLOGUE AND SCENE COMPETITION

A festival favorite, the Student Drama Competition highlights students from around the region who will submit their work for the opportunity to win trophies, award money for their school programs and perform in the afternoon porch plays. The contest will be streamed live and across all festival platforms.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CST

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN (PAUSE STREAM)

Enjoy one of Clarksdale’s many fine restaurants downtown or beyond before we gather for the afternoon programming. For a list of local restaurants, go to Visitclarksdale.com 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CST

Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum OPEN 106 Sharkey Avenue / Clarksdale

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CST

PATCHWORK PRESENTATION

BY DR. J. JANICE COLEMAN (IN-PERSON & ONLINE) CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Dr. J. Janice Coleman is a professor of English at Alcorn State University, and she is also a quilter and a storyteller.

She has developed her patchwork art exhibit over 30 years, featuring a vast array of quilts, cotton sacks, tote bags, and other sewn items. Her presentation includes an exhibit of pieces from her textile collection, which she chooses based on the event at which she is speaking. "I tell the stories that these items hold," she says, "choosing pieces for each event that are most relevant to the occasion and that will inspire engagement or interaction with the audience."

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM CST

THE MS DELTA CHINESE EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY GILROY CHOW (IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Mr. Gilroy Chow, President of the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum, is a former industrial engineer who worked for NASA in the late 60s and early 70s and then worked as the Engineering Manager for Metso Industries for 39 years. Gilroy has spoken all over the country about the hardships of the Chinese that settled the Mississippi Delta before the turn of the last century. He is an ambassador for Chinese heritage and culture and will share many insights about the Chinese including their pastimes, oral histories and cooking traditions.

3:15 PM CST

PAUSE STREAM

In-person and online activities take a short break to prepare for the afternoon PORCH PLAYS.

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE SATURDAY, October 16, 2021 continued 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM CST

Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum OPEN 106 Sharkey Avenue / Clarksdale

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM CST

WOMAN’S CLUB OPEN HOUSE 101 SHARKEY AVENUE / CLARKSDALE

The Clarksdale Woman’s Club has been meeting since 1907 and their little clubhouse, located across the street from St. George's Episcopal Church and the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum, was built in 1923. Feel free to by the Woman's Club for some bottled water, punch and cookies before the festival puts on their signature Porch Plays.

4:00 PM – 5:45 PM CST

PORCH PLAYS (IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

A signature event at the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival, this year’s online and in-person porch plays will feature scenes filmed on location around Clarksdale as well as performances submitted by our friends at home. A series of performances will be available on all festival streaming platforms and on our in-person guests will have the chance to see live performances on the porches of some of Clarksdale’s historic homes.

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM CST

(IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

CUTRER MANSION I 109 CLARK STREET I CLARKSDALE

Winners from the Student Drama Competition will show on the large TV screens in the broadcast viewing area, including the splash scene winners who will perform with members of our professional acting company.

Our at home audience will continue with online programming that features Clarksdale’s historic neighborhoods and homes while in-person guests will make their way down the street to a sampling of live performances to round out our festival.

4:45 PM – 5:15 PM CST

235 CLARK STREET – THE ROSS HOUSE (IN-PERSON ONLY) PORCH PLAY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Local community theatre actress, Sherrye Williams talks about her years working with the festival and shares some of her favorite monologues from some of the most well-known Tennessee Williams characters. Anna Carson Tyner, also a Clarksdale native and 2021 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance, presents an original piece on the life and work of Tennessee Williams.

5:15 PM – 5:45 PM CST

41 JOHN STREET – THE BREWER-BARR MANSION (IN-PERSON ONLY) PORCH PLAY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

The professional acting ensemble will perform scenes from A Streetcar Named Desire directed by acting lead, Heidi-Marie Ferren, and talk about some of their favorite Tennessee Williams characters.

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE SATURDAY, October 16, 2021 continued 5:45 PM CST

SIGN OFF AND END STREAM

As we finish another festival during challenging times, we say farewell and thank you with hopes you all will join us again in Clarksdale soon, but especially next year.

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM CST

AFTER PARTY AT UNCLE HENRY’S PLACE 5860 MOON LAKE ROAD, DUNDEE, MS 38626

In-Person guests please join us on the pavilion at Uncle Henry’s Place on Moon Lake, the inspiration for the Moon Lake Casino in the Tennessee Williams plays. There will be music by Anthony “Big A” Sherrod and the Allstars.

Hors d’oeuvres will be provided. There will be a cash bar available. PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to have dinner at Uncle Henry's that evening, please contact them directly to reserve at 662-624-1248

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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2021 FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS Matt Foss Matt Foss received his MFA in acting from Chicago’s Roosevelt University and PhD in theatre studies and directing from Wayne State University in Detroit. Recent professional credits include Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Oracle Theatre, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, American Blues Theatre, The Jewish Ensemble Theatre and Tipping Point Theatre. In 2016, his touring production of The Glass Menagerie performed at Russia’s Moscow Art Theatre. He adapted and directed Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle for Oracle Productions in Chicago in 2014. The production received Chicago Jeff Award Nominations for Outstanding Production, Director, Ensemble, and won for best new adaptation. His adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front received the Kennedy Center’s National David Mark Cohen Playwriting Award for Outstanding New Play in 2019. Matt served as Artistic Director of the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival in 2020 and again this year.

Jen Waller Jen Waller is on staff at Coahoma Community College and serves as the Director of the Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Delta State University. After teaching middle school in Clarksdale, she moved to Washington, D.C., in June 2000 where she served in a variety of public service roles over a 10-year period including serving in the office of Congressman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois and at the U.S. Department of Education in the Obama Administration. Waller moved back home to the Mississippi Delta in October 2010 to run the Higher Ed Center. She has served as the Project Director of the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival since 2018.

Tony Santiago Tony is a Chicago based artist and producer who supports access and connections to local art with technology and data. Tony is the Programs and Theater Manager at Arts + Public Life, an initiative with the University of Chicago and the Founder of Chicago Arts Access at freetix.org. Tony travels to Clarksdale almost every year and is honored to be here again to support this important work. Other credits include Arts Alliance Illinois, The Roustabouts, Lyric Opera Unlimited, Chicago Parks District, Summer in the City Arts & Adventure Camp, and Oracle Productions.

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FESTIVAL SCHOLARS, CAST & CREW Gilroy Chow Gilroy Chow is a re red engineer living in Clarksdale. He was the Engineering Manager for Metso Industries for 39 years in a conveyor component plant that fabricated steel idlers, pulleys, and bulk material handling accessories. Previously, Chow was Group Engineer with General Dynamics building and tes ng Sparrow Missiles for the Navy. He also worked the en rety of the Apollo Program, working at Kennedy Space Center assembling, tes ng, and checking out the Lunar Module which landed men on the moon, first in 1969 and on un l 1972. He is currently President of the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum on the Delta State University Campus in Cleveland. Chow is very ac ve in affairs at Oakhurst Bap st Church; he is serving as trustee at Gateway Seminary. Born in Cleveland, MS, he grew up in New York City. He has degrees from Mississippi State University and Florida State University. Chow has been married to his wife Sally for 51 years; they have two adult children in Memphis.

J. Janice Coleman Dr. J. Janice Coleman, professor of English at Alcorn State, has degrees in English and related fields from Alcorn State, Bowling Green State, and the University of Mississippi.

She brings to the Tennessee Williams Fes val an exhibi on of co on sacks featuring quilt pa erns that represent an interpreta on of life and culture of the Mississippi Delta, of which Williams’ legacy is an integral part. For this fes val, her sack collec on could be called “Before the Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Co on.” (See the collec on at h ps:// mdssam.omeka.net.) Dr. Coleman is a na ve of Mound Bayou.

Coop Cooper A na ve of Clarksdale, Coop Cooper earned his BFA in Cinema at Southern Methodist University and an MFA in Screenwri ng at the American Film Ins tute in Hollywood. He remained in Hollywood to pursue a career in screenwri ng and write script coverage for produc on companies, but a er the events of 9/11, Coop switched gears and became a High School English/film teacher in Los Angeles. Feeling that Mississippi was becoming an opportune loca on for film produc on, he returned to Clarksdale where he wrote and directed the award-winning shorts “The Best Day” (2012) and “Regress” (2013). He has since devoted his energy to freelance video produc on and producing/direc ng the filming of live music events. For 15+ years, he also worked as a published film cri c for the Clarksdale Press Register.

Jarre Ross Cunningham Jarre Cunningham has been working in digital and performa ve mediums ever since his years at Toledo School for the Arts, studying graphic design and music.

More recently, he graduated from the University of Toledo, studying under the film department. Throughout his me, he studied across mul ple disciplines of cinematography, music and sound produc on, and edi ng. In the Jazz Department, he parcipated in mul ple Combo bands as a bassist. More recently, he was an editor for the Toledo Museum of Art, Montana Shakespeare in the Park, and Mixed Blood Theatre. Presently, he is also working alongside recent University of Toledo graduate Anthony Wright on a feature length project.

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FESTIVAL SCHOLARS, CAST & CREW Travis Delgado Travis Delgado is honored to join the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Fes val. Travis graduated from Texas A&M University at Corpus Chris and now lives in Andersonville, Chicago. He is best known for playing Jurgis in Oracle Produc ons' "The Jungle" as well as The Foundling Father in "The America Play", which received a Jeff Nomina on. He was also in the ensemble of Mary Zimmerman's World Premiere adapta on of "Treasure Island" at the Looking glass Theatre. He’s done features for Chicago PD and Fire on NBC and a couple feature films called Two In The Bush and Girl On The 3rd Floor streaming on Amazon Prime & Ne lix. Travis would like to thank his mother, father, and brothers for their love and support.

CM Dugan CM Dugan is an award-winning graphic designer from Minneapolis, MN. He created the MS Delta Tennessee Williams poster in 2020 which used a Clarksdale landmark, the Murphey Angel in the Grange Cemetery, to represent the stone angel fountain called Eternity in Summer and Smoke. This year, he also created the 2021 poster using another Clarksdale landmark, Cutrer Mansion, to represent the ancestral home of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. He has been working with ar sts, musicians, and storytellers na onwide on solving the unique challenges presented in marke ng for crea ves since 2012. More of his work can be viewed at cmdugan.com

Heidi‐Marie Ferren Heidi-Marie is delighted to be returning to the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Fes val! Heidi is the last and longest reigning Miss USO, performing and speaking in over 1000 venues worldwide in support of service members and their families.

Onstage, she has performed leading roles in New York and London; Favorite roles include: Frances Abbo in In the Belly of the Beast, directed by Adrian Hall; Lena in Misalliance, directed by Ethan McSweeny; and Puck in the Award-winning PBS broadcast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On screen, you can catch Heidi on ABC’s hit comedy, ‘American Housewife' and as Wonder Woman on HBO’s “Bored to Death” with Ted Danson.

Follow her on instagram: @heidi_marieferren and online at: www.heidimarieferren.net

Ann Fisher‐Wirth Ann Fisher-Wirth has published 6 books of poetry, most recently The Bones of Winter Birds, Mississippi in collabora on with Maude Schuyler Clay, and The Ecopoetry Anthology co-edited with Laura-Gray Street. Fisher-Wirth teaches poetry workshops and seminars, 20th-century American literature, and a wide range of courses in environmental literature at the University of Mississippi and also directs the Environmental Studies minor there. A senior fellow and board member of The Black Earth Ins tute, she was 2017 Anne Spencer Poet in Residence at Randolph College in Virginia. She has held a senior Fulbright at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and the Fulbright Dis nguished Chair of American Studies at Uppsala University, Sweden. She has received numerous awards for her work, which appears widely in journals, online, and in anthologies. She and her husband, Peter Wirth, have taught at the University of Mississippi for 30 years. You can find more about her at annfisherwirth.com 14

FESTIVAL SCHOLARS, CAST & CREW Levi Frazier, Jr. Levi Frazier, Jr. is a poet, short story writer, award winning playwright, and he is a former associate professor at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.

His play, A Tribute to Richard Wright was produced by invita on at the AfricanAmericans and Europe Interna onal Fes val in Paris. His musical, Down On Beale Street, was produced in New York and featured actress extraordinaire, Anna Deveare Smith, as W. C. Handy’s mother. The State of Tennessee commissioned Levi to write the musical, Beale Street Back Again, for its Bicentennial. In 2017, he was invited to produce his play, For Our Freedom Levi and Yours in Lodz, Poland as part of an interna onal symposium on 19th century Black Shakespearian actor, Ira Aldridge. He and his wife, Deborah, are also co-founders of Blues City Cultural Center in Memphis.

Kenneth Holditch Kenneth Holditch is professor emeritus at the University of New Orleans. He has exper se in Southern Literature and on the life and work of Tennessee Williams. He is the editor of the Tennessee Williams Journal, and co-editor, along with Mel Gussow, of the Library of America edi on of Williams’ wri ngs. Holditch collaborated with Richard Freeman Leavi on Tennessee Williams and the South as well as The World of Tennessee Williams. Holditch was one of three ini al consultants who helped Coahoma Community College establish the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Fesval (MDTWF) in Clarksdale in 1992, and he has been greatly involved ever since.

Holditch created the Tennessee Williams literary walking tours in the New Orleans French Quarter, and he knew the playwright personally. He was also instrumental in helping found the Tennessee Williams Fes val in New Orleans and the Tennessee Williams Tribute fes val in Columbus. Holditch was born in Mississippi, but has made his home in New Orleans.

Eleanor Kahn Eleanor Kahn is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary ar st, with a focus on scenic and installa on design. Her work has been primarily in the world of theater. She has been the scenic and/or details designer on over 100 shows and coun ng since her arrival in 2012. Her work also branches into other realms of spa al design and includes installa on and experien al work. Highlights include: Installa on Designer in Millennium Park celebra ng 2019’s Year of Chicago Theater; Lead Details Designer on Hebru Brantley’s experience Nevermore Park, based on his Flyboy Universe; and being the first Ar st-in-Resident with the city of Des Moines, IA.

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FESTIVAL SCHOLARS, CAST & CREW Karen Kohlhaas Karen Kohlhaas is a founding member, theater director, and senior teacher at New York's Atlan c Theater Company. Direc ng credits include Atlan c, other New York, and regional theaters. She is a master teacher of Prac cal Aesthe cs ac ng technique and guest teaches around the country and interna onally. She is the author of two books on monologues and audi oning. She is a Tennessee Williams scholar and is finishing a feature documentary on Williams in the Mississippi Delta, and curator of Clarksdale’s Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum in Clarksdale. She teaches ac ng, Tennessee Williams scene study, monologue and audi on technique online. Her website for actors and teachers is www.art-and-audi on.com. Karen served as the Ar s c Director of the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Fes val in 2018 and 2019.

Jus ne Magnusson Jus ne Magnusson played Nellie Ewell in Summer and Smoke at last year's MS Delta Tennessee Williams fes val, in addi on to wri ng original music & arrangements for the produc on. She has performed at the New York Musical fes val, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Centre, and on the Na onal Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind. She originated the role of Sue in the world premiere of Home Street Home by NOFX frontman Mike Burke and Avenue Q writer Jeff Marx. Jus ne is currently a Teaching Ar st at Griot Arts here in Clarksdale, and she just recorded an EP of original music! She has a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. www.Jus neMagnusson.com

Paige McGinley Paige McGinley is Associate Professor of Performing Arts and American Culture Studies at Washington University in St. Louis and the author of the awardwinning Staging the Blues: From Tent Shows to Tourism. She is currently at work on a new book en tled Rehearsing Civil Rights, the first in-depth examina on of rehearsals for direct ac on and self-determina on in the mid-century Black freedom struggle. As a teacher, McGinley especially enjoys watching students discover ar sts from the past, and using those discoveries to deepen their own crea ve work in the present. She was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Jaxx Nassar Jacqueline "Jaxx" Nassar is an emerging singer, songwriter, and ar st who grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Her music career began at the age of seven, when she learned to play the drums. By eight years old, she had picked up the guitar and it is now her main instrument, although somewhere in between she managed to learn to play bass and keyboard. She graduated from the Arts and Educa on Program at the Delta Blues Museum in 2000 as Most Outstanding Student. While with the band "Blues Prodigy", she won the W.C. Handy Kids Founda on Award. Jaxx was chosen to receive the first Robert Johnson Award for Youth Excellence which was presented to her by Morgan Freeman and Steve Johnson (The famed Robert Johnson's grandson). She became a permanent fixture at 'Ground Zero' Blues Club in Clarksdale, where she learned her cra from the best of Blues legends and is currently a featured ar st on 16"Blues Radio".

FESTIVAL SCHOLARS, CAST & CREW Anthony “Big A” Sherrod “Big A” is a homegrown bluesman who has been playing since he was six years old.

He was taught by Mr. Johnny Billington in the Delta Blues Museum Educa on program and now he con nues that tradi on of blues educa on by teaching there today too. He currently has a weekly gig at Red’s Lounge, the famous authen c juke joint in Clarksdale’s historic downtown Arts & Culture District. He is professionally proficient on bass and guitar, and he also plays drums, keyboard, and serves as the lead vocalist in his band, Big A and the Allstars. As a young bass player, Anthony played with Buddy Guy in Clarksdale. He has also appeared in a documentary film, played overseas, and regularly performs throughout the region and at fes vals in the Mississippi Delta and across the country.

Lucious Spiller Lucious Spiller is a gi ed ar st, songwriter, singer, musician, teacher and mentor.

His music, rooted in blues and gospel, is unique and fresh yet embodies the spirit of the tradi onal. Hailing from the Spiller family, Lucious con nues the legacy of contribu ng to and enhancing the blues musical experiences of countless people across the country and the world. A two- me IBC finalist (2012 and 2014), Lucious won 2nd Place in the Solo/Duo Category at the 2014 Interna onal Blues Challenge in Memphis. His recently released “Lucious Spiller Live Volume 1” and “Volume 2” were recorded live at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS and capture the true essence of a live blues/ rock/R&B show in the world epicenter for the blues. Lucious is featured in the awardwinning documentary "True Delta" and streaming reality series "Moonshine and Mojo Hands”. He also appears in the recently released documentaries “Mississippi Ramblin’” and “Mississippi Miracle”.

Kelvin Towers Kelvin K. Towers is a na ve of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. His academic background includes a Bachelor of Music degree in music educa on from Mississippi Valley State University, a Master of Music degree in choral music educa on and a Doctor of Philosophy in Music degree in music educa on from the University of Mississippi. Towers has served as Music Department Chair/Director of Choral Ac vi es from August 2002--- to present at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale. Throughout his tenure, he has successfully implemented a comprehensive choral music program. As a music educator, Towers has served as a local, state, and na onal choral adjudicator; and a clinician for district, all-city, and state conven on choirs.

Christopher Tucker Christopher L. Tucker is an actor, singer, comedian, and Arts Educator living in New York City. Originally from Detroit, MI, he studied at Wayne State University’s BFA Ac ng program as well as the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia. Credits include William in Lobby Hero, Warren in Ordinary Days, Vin in Sons of The Prophet, Katurian in The Pillowman, Of Soaring & Solitude, Edgar in King Lear. Most recently Christopher could be seen performing with his improv team DANG JoJo! at The Upright Ci zens Brigade Theatre in NYC. 17

FESTIVAL SCHOLARS, CAST & CREW Anna Carson Tyner Anna Carson Tyner is a Clarksdale na ve and 2021 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance. This is her second year par cipa ng in the fes val, and she is so happy to be home and performing again! Her previous ac ng credits include Yevgenia Yezhov in Describe the Night, Hellena in The Rover, and various devised theatre pieces. During her me as an undergraduate, she completed an Honors Thesis, tled “When I Grow Up: In macy Work and Collegiate Theatre.”

Sherrye Williams Sherrye Williams started her ac ng career at a very young age, when she would have her brother and sisters perform plays with her for their parents. Since then she has had the privilege of ac ng in several plays for the Clarksdale Community Theatre, among her favorites being Essie in You Can’t Take It With You, Pegeen in Mame, Tansy in The Nerd, and Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. She also traveled from Florida to Tennessee to California, while ac ng in Strange DevoƟons as Sister Caroline. But being Amanda Wingfield has always been her favorite part.

Tourists from Norway to California and everywhere in between have had the pleasure of watching Sherrye Williams, a true Southern belle, perform as Amanda Wingfield in Clarksdale over the years and she certainly loves performing it.

Ayana C. Williams Ayana C. Williams is the execu ve director of the Blues City Cultural Center (BCCC) in Memphis. As a child growing up in this Black arts organiza on during the historic Black Arts Movement, she had no idea that one day she would be called upon to fill the shoes of the founders. Over the years, she had performed in BCCC’s original produc ons and programs such as The Lonely Christmas Tree, the musical revue Down on Beale, Peace in the House, and the weekly radio play series, A Play for a Day. She says that the most memorable moment was performing with the company in Paris, France, at the Sorbonne University in the produc on, A Tribute to Richard Wright. She has served in other roles such as stage manager, assistant director and eventually director in produc ons of Down on Beale, Ritual Murder and Tickle the Rain, and she today she feels a renewed focus on the importance of Black lives and Black ins tu ons in her new role.

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A SPECIAL THANKS TO PANNY MAYFIELD As many of you know, this festival has been a labor of love and community for 29 years. Looking back, it seems that hundreds of people near and far have touched this festival with their creative genius. We have had artists, scholars, musicians, writers, chefs, volunteers and more! But no one has been more dedicated and determined to share the work of Tennessee Williams in the MS Delta than our own, Panny Mayfield. After Panny “retired” from the festival, we gave her an award for all of her service, but we really cannot thank her enough for her leadership, encouragement, support and vision so here’s to you, Panny! Thank you for all you do for the festival and for Clarksdale.

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FESTIVAL HISTORY The MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival (MDTWF) was founded by Coahoma Community College (CCC) in 1992 under the leadership of Dr. Vivian Presley, president of CCC from 1992 to 2013, with a $10,000 grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Clarksdale journalist/photographer Panny Mayfield, who was a part-time consultant for the Mississippi Arts Commission at the time, assisted Dr. Presley in writing the grant and has remained heavily involved ever since.

During the planning process in 1992, CCC utilized three key people to serve as consultants to help establish the festival. They included Dr. Ann Abadie, who was a member of the committee that planned the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi which opened in 1977 and who also served as the Center’s longtime associate director; Dr. Kenneth Holditch who was a professor at the University of New Orleans and had expertise in both Mississippi Literature and Southern Literature; and Professor Greg Boyd who was the theatre director at Shelby State in Memphis, now known as Southwest Tennessee Community College. Other scholars who served over the years as part of an unofficial advisory team included Dr. Colby Kullman of the University of Mississippi, Dr. Ralph Voss of the University of Alabama and American Theatre Director Erma Duricko.

Key members of CCC's Tennessee Williams Festival team in the early years included Dr. Hazeltine Fouce, Vanessa Long, Yvonne Stanford, Charles Reid, Jerone Shaw, Rita Hanfor, Henry Dorsey, Marilyn Starks, Florence Lucas, and Cheryl Barnes. CCC's strong support for the festival continues today through the leadership of CCC’s current president, Dr. Valmadge Towner, and his faculty and staff.

The long-running success of the festival has also been ensured by active involvement and support from many local organizations including the City of Clarksdale and Coahoma County Board of Supervisors, the Carnegie Public Library, the Clarksdale Woman’s Club, the Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce and the Coahoma County Tourism Commission. It is true that the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival has called on many volunteers from the Clarksdale/Coahoma County community over the last 27 years, but initial efforts by local women including Eva Connell, Judy Flowers, Betty Gorsenger, Martha James, Betty Sue Maynard and Tana Pittman Vassel truly gave the festival a firm foundation to grow on, and we are so grateful for their involvement.

In 2017, Panny Mayfield stepped down as lead organizer for the festival leaving a hole that has been hard to fill.

New York theatre teacher and Tennessee Williams historian Karen Kohlhaas, who established the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum in Clarksdale, collaborated with Jen Waller, director of the Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion owned by Coahoma Community College, to organize and produce the 2018 and 2019 festivals.

In 2020, Dr. Matt Foss of the University of Toledo stepped up to take on the role of artistic director while Jen Waller still serves as the project director for Coahoma Community College. Kohlhaas, who is working on a documentary film about Tennessee Williams in the MS Delta, is still involved with the festival assisting with marketing and communications while serving in an advisory role as needed.

This will be the 29th year for the MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival in Clarksdale, and we hope it will continue to grow and evolve for many years to come.

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES My favorite memory is from a festival more than 20 years ago. My eighth graders from Higgins Junior High School in Clarksdale, Mississippi participated in the Student Drama Competition. Diligent practice created intense scenes featuring Maggie the Cat and Brick from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Tom and Amanda Wingfield from The Glass Menagerie. Of course, everyone had a blast competing in and watching the "Stella!" contest! These students were the youngest in the competition, yet acted as ambassadors for Clarksdale for the out of town students. We learned "practice makes perfect," how to be in character, and how to handle the pressures of a stage performance. There is little doubt that these young adults today remember the competition fondly.

Barbara Boschert, History Instructor, Chair, Social Science Department, Coahoma Community College

The Mississippi Humanities Council has been a proud supporter of the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival since the event's earliest days. It really is a model of the best public humanities programming. I will never forget seeing the esteemed New Yorker critic John Lahr talking about his Tennessee Williams biography at the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium. But my most memorable moments have been watching high school students presenting emotionally complicated Williams scenes and monologues during the festival's competition. To see Williams' work affect the next generation of Mississippians is always inspiring.

Stuart Rockoff, Executive Director Mississippi Humanities Council

Former MHC Execu ve Director Barbara Carpenter, her hus‐ band Harrell, and Panny on her famous porch. Circa — 2010

Photos by Panny Mayfield (unless she is in the photo)

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES I started performing at the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival in 2002. My first experience was at Uncle Henry’s Place on Moon Lake where I was humbled to perform Blanche DuBois’s Allan monologue. I recited the lines about Moon Lake Casino in the actual Moon Lake Casino. How thrilling! Over the years, I have performed Blanche on Clarksdale’s porches and even at Grange Cemetery where the real life Blanche Cutrer is buried.

Although my first performance and lots of subsequent performances at the Festival were as Blanche DuBois, I also performed many times as Maggie the Cat. The first time, I wore a black slip as my costume, and after the performance, I threw a light weight pink shrug on over my slip and walked around Clarksdale in my slip and high heels. Panny Mayfield still enjoys telling that story when I perform!

There are too many to mention, but some of my favorite memories of the Festival are the times I spent on Panny’s glorious porch. I specifically remember sitting on the porch one time drinking wine and talking with Tammy Grimes about her cats! Cats have been an appropriate recurring theme during my times at the Festival. One porch play performance as I was playing Maggie the Cat, one of Panny’s felines fittingly walked across the roof above my head while I was talking about no neck monsters and Brick and Big Daddy! That may have been the same year that we were concerned that the rain would most certainly cause us to cancel the porch plays, but by performance time, the sun broke through the daunting storm clouds and lit up Panny’s porch moments before I delivered my first lines. It was as if Tennessee Williams himself turned the stage lights on! Showtime!

Alice Walker, Vocal and Performance Coach, Oxford, Mississippi In 2012, I brought a large group of students from Hernando High School. At the party, the night before the competition, one of my students and I were asked to perform a monologue. It's a neat video from the past that just popped up on my Facebook Memories. The Delta Bohemian put it together as a recap of festivals past. You may have already seen the video but I wanted to tell you about it so you can look for it. I am the lady performing "Maggie" at the party. The picture by Panny Mayfield shared here is from this trip. The people in the audience whose shirt's have “Who's yo Big Daddy" on the back are my students. The front had a picture of Tennessee and it said, "Tennessee Williams is my home boy!” We clearly had fun! I hope you are ready and excited for the festival! I am! Ashley Hawkins, Theatre Teacher, Lake Cormorant HS

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES

By Glynda Duncan, Former Faculty at CCC F all is my absolute favorite time of the year. Cool, crisp mornings with a gentle breeze whipping against the leaves left on the trees. Since the TWF is scheduled for the second week in October, I get even more excited as the time approaches. It is a perfect time of the year with a special energy all its own. I have enjoyed each and every festival; I have only missed three due to illness or out of town for work. Here are some of my favorite memories.

One year, Robert Molpus, Sherrye Williams and I volunteered for a porch play, “The Lady of Larkspur Lotion.” My Glynda Duncan, the author of this memory, part was a landlady of a rather poor and rundown establishment Is pictured second from le with the same type of clientele. I remember having to find clothing appropriate for the part. I found a ratty, old bathrobe which was accompanied by a hair net over pink rollers. I found it rather freeing being aggressive and rather rude in trying to collect the overdue rent from a woman (Sherrye) who I felt was a woman of ill repute, low morals, etc. As is Tennessee Williams fashion, the lesser accepted pilgrims in his plays always seem to find each other. Robert was writing a book that never was finished and Sherrye was trying to impress him with false tales. She was hoping to impress him enough for him to rescue her by paying her rent.

One year, I was asked to play a small part only screaming bloody murder back stage at just the appropriate time. I would get a chance to work with professional actress Tammy Grimes who was one of our guests that fall. I accepted immediately. She was such a gracious person and working with her and others was very exciting. I have rather a loud, projected voice, and I was sure I could come up with the best delivery. Rehearsals were so much fun; each scream got bigger, better, and more focused on the frightening content. Our first rehearsal was in Panny Mayfield’s inviting home flowing with friends, guests, food, and various libations. I was juggling two tasks that night: fulfilling my job at Coahoma Community College (TWF Sponsor) as PR and SID by listening to an out of town football game in order to write the game story the next day and then also rehearsing for the one-act play. The TWF guests allowed me to take sports notes while they read through lines and cued me when I was to scream. Of course, we warned the other house guests not to be frightened. Our rehearsal that night was quite the conversation piece for the other guests.

We had so much fun.

As a Southerner, hospitality is the main element of any event in the Delta. I appointed myself an official hostess at the college during the TWF events by serving coffee, tea, and light refreshments between daily events. Some falls were “nippier” than others and hot coffee was a delight of most guests. I love conversations with guests. It is always a highlight of my time at the festivals.

Other memories always include the scholars who attend. Colby Kullman is one of my favorites. A retired professor from Ole Miss and Tennessee Williams expert, Colby makes the festivals so fun and informative. He brings this positive energy to any event. He is known for taking photos at all events, and then after the festival, he sends the photos to all of us. It is a gracious and generous gesture that shows so much of Colby’s personality. Ralph Voss, another retired professor, and Glenda come annually to the festival too. They are both a joy. I love to hear Ralph as a panelist.

He always brings so much to the festival. I cannot name all the people I have met during the festival, but all of them have been special to me. It just epitomizes the many joys of the festival. There is never a stranger at the festival, because we all come together for the love and the intrigue of Tennessee Williams.

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES

By Sherrye Williams, Community Actor When I was asked to write down my memories of the many Tennessee Williams Festivals I have been involved with, I think of Panny Mayfield and her unswerving diligence to keep this festival alive and vital. I remember the first play, The Glass Menagerie. How fortunate I was to get the part of Amanda Wingfield! At the time I thought it was going to be a big leap to fill that part. I was in my 30’s and didn’t think I had anything in common with Amanda at all. Yet, I had known many Southern ladies who were just like her. This part has taken me on a whirlwind of adventures. Oxford was the first place Panny took us. I think it was a brown sack lunch at the Southern Cultural building. There I met Colby Cullman, whom I later found out to be the biggest of supporter of the festival.

Tennessee Williams knew his Southern women. He always gave them plenty of lines… to hang themselves?! I know Amanda and Maggie the Cat have plenty as well as Big Mama and Blanche DuBois, not to mention Stella and Dr. John’s love interest, Alma Winemiller.

When I started going back into my scrapbook of Tennessee Williams plays, I started thinking of Sarah and her son, George Wright and the many times they had the Tennessee Williams Festival dinners at the Moon Lake Casino!

Sarah especially would remind us of all the many happenings at the Casino, not just those of Tennessee Williams and his grandfather, Reverend Dakin. Of course, it was George who did the cooking as we enjoyed so many happy meals together.

I remember being pregnant during one of the plays, Summer and Smoke. Grace Clark, Bo Keeler, and myself were a few of the “old timers” who enjoyed being thespians. Phil and Laura Cauthen and Willie House were the ones behind the scenes. They always had everything ready. The props, the scenery, the sets — everything!

I just couldn't believe I was pregnant. It was such a shock! That baby is now in med school so we turned out alright! I also remember that we did Streetcar Named Desire twice! I remember Brick being played by Don Jones and Big Daddy being played by Mr. Stokes, the choir director from the Episcopal church. Kathy Holt was Maggie the Cat, and she was better than Elizabeth Taylor! In the second play, Don Jones was Brick again and Jackie Hale was Maggie the Cat. She was delightful, too. Erma Duricko brought her cast with some of the locals filling in various parts. Linda Bell was one of the actresses I asked to help and afterwards she told me “I really owed her Big Time!”

I guess my favorite performance was Lady of Larkspur Lotion. I think I have played every part --- the rooming house owner and the lady of larkspur lotion. If I have been privileged to be apart of that porch play I can only guess at the number of times — probably 5 or more. Not only playing the parts but also being the director, the props lady, and the person who found the porch. I also got my CPA daughter to read lines sitting with her back to the railing and columns. She did not want to be a part of my thespian hobbies!

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES The most different but probably most well received poem I was honored to do was about the man with the gold tooth called Gold Tooth Blues. I copied the chorus and had the audience join me in reciting it. When Tennessee Williams’ brother was stationed in the park, he would recite this ditty! My favorite speaker was always Corinne Miles.

She may not have been considered a scholar like many of the others were, but she knew first hand who Tennessee Williams was as well as his grandparents. She took violin lessons from Mrs. Dakin.

The most surprising of all the happenings were the girls winning the Stella Hollering contest! The Coahoma County Jr. and Sr. High School winning some of the scenes and monologues were wonderful.

My most exciting time was last year when Karen Kohlaas asked Johnny McPhail and his wife, Matt Foss and his group and me to do a scene from Summer and Smoke in the parlor of the Episcopal parsonage/office. Oh What fun! I will never forget it.

Seeing young actors who grew up in Clarksdale take the stage has also been one of my most rewarding experiences.

Local young actor, Anna Carson Tyner, was such an incredible addition to last year’s performances.

Having had these various parts in the Tennessee Williams Festival, I am very fortunate to have these wonderful memories. I have meet many scholars, actors, and just plain people who have inspired and taught me about Tennessee Williams and his talent for writing. These people have been from all over the country, and I have been inspired to invite others to experience our festival too.

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES DISPATCH FROM 415 COURT STREET, CLARKSDALE, MISS. FROM JOURNALIST FOREVER PANNY MAYFIELD The Year was 1995 when the U.S. Postal Service unveiled its Tennessee Williams postage stamp and named its first date of issue – Oct. 13, 1995, in Clarksdale. Mississippi This was a very big deal and ceremony, and I took many photographs of the event.

Photo of the stamp ceremony principals including (from le ) author Richard Freeman Leavi ; Darrell Hood, district post master, Mississippi District; Wil‐ liams biographer Lyle Leverich; and Dakin Williams, the playwright's brother.

Lyle Leverich opened his national book tour for his biography: TOM, THE UNKNOWN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, during the festival, and we had an extremely prestigious group of dignitaries on hand including Tennessee’s brother, Dakin Williams, author Richard Freeman Leavitt, actor Anthony Herrera who performed a reading from one of the playwright’s one act plays, scholar Dr. Kenneth Holditch who gave the primary address, postal authorities, Charles Reid representing Coahoma Community College and

others.

Hosting this event was a project we went after in a big way and were successful in landing. What joggled my memory about it the most was a photo I took and just found of an influential postal authority who had assisted the Delta Blues Heritage Festival folks to host the unveiling and first day of issue ceremony for the series of blues stamps in Greenville.

Our generous postal advisor recommended that we organize a collection of historic material and photos in a binder to submit to Washington along with photos of the playwright’s childhood neighborhood and our request to host the stamp event.

We did, and they picked Clarksdale over New Orleans, New York, St. Louis, and Key West, Florida.

One of Clarksdale High School’s classes volunteered to help in the bulk mailing of hundreds of invitations going across the country.

For the October ceremony all of the speakers and dignitaries were seated on the double-galleried front porch of the Tom Ross family home on Clark and John Streets. The audience was seated in chairs facing the house, and the CCC Band performed on the side.

For the occasion I borrowed a period gown and a green velvet broad-brimmed hat trimmed in large cabbage roses that sounded like one worn by Edwina Dakin in her debutante years in Port Gibson that I had read about in her Memoir: REMEMBER ME TO TOM. 26

COLLECTION OF MEMORIES The clothes were borrowed from Mary Jo McIntosh who had been a collector and a museum patron of the Detroit Motor Museum before she and Bob McIntosh moved to Clarksdale.

Gathered inside the Ross home before the ceremony began, I almost “chickened out” wearing the outfit, but did not have time to change, and also realized I would be mostly hidden be sitting on the back row.

It was all glorious, and afterward we celebrated with a buffet, music, and dancing at Hopson and a full weekend of festival activities.

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES SOME FAVORITE PHOTOS

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COLLECTION OF MEMORIES SOME FAVORITE PHOTOS

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW FOR NEXT YEAR’S FESTIVAL… OCTOBER 13, 14, & 15, 2022

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