Though he is most well-known for A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, famed playwright Tennessee Williams has also penned more light-hearted plays such as one about love.
On Wednesday, the Ohio University School of Theater will premiere its last production of the year, The Rose Tattoo, one of Williams’ more romantic tales.
The play follows Serafina Delle Rose, who, after her husband dies, closes herself off from the world and expects her daughter Rosa to do the same. When someone new enters her life, Serafina faces the question of whether or not she should open herself up to love once more.
“Tennessee Williams does not just write depressing and disturbing plays,” said Emily Penick, the play’s director and a third year Master of Fine Arts student studying directing. “People are surprised by The Rose Tattoo because it is such a heartwarming love story.”
Though the relationships are something Penick enjoys, she said the dualistic nature of the writing makes the play unique, giving the audience a chance to “go on a ride.”
“(Williams) once said, ‘I would not have missed putting these feelings into a play for anything in the world,’ ” Penick said. “He said it is a ‘slapstick tragedy.’ One minute, you’ll be laughing and the next you’ll be crying. When I first read the play, I wept, but then I also laughed until I cried.”
Emilio Tirri, a first-year Master of Fine Arts actor who plays Alvaro Mangiacavallo, the new love interest, said playing the role was very fulfilling.
“It hit home with me in a different way than a lot of other characters I’ve done,” he said. “I got to go deep inside myself and see how I can connect to what Alvaro is going through … I don’t know if I’ve ever dug into myself that deep before.”
Bradley Wehrle, scenic designer for the play and a third-year Master of Fine Arts graduate studying scenic design, said the environment and design of the play helps emphasize those emotional moments.
Selecting foliage that could be found in the New Orleans setting, including Spanish moss and a giant Oak tree will help the audience envision the play, he said.
Jessica Link, a senior studying theater performance who plays Serafina in the show, said she was overjoyed at the opportunity to perform Williams’ work with people who are also incredibly invested in the show.
“I know that this is just a university-level production,” she said. “But I get to work on this, and it is such a high quality of work … (As a team), we’ve all been in such high spirits … We are all building something together. I feel so lucky to work with these people.”
mg986611@ohiou.edu
