OXFORD, Miss. – Two live performances of “Orpheus Descending” by Tennessee Williams are scheduled for Sunday and Monday (Feb. 26 and 27) at the University of Mississippi.
Backed by Mississippi cultural leaders, the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival and The Infinite Theatre of New York are bringing their popular production to Williams’ home state.
The 7 p.m. performances in Paris Yates Chapel feature a cast that includes both Mississippi actors and members of the New York troupe. Shows are also scheduled in Clarksdale, Columbus and Jackson.
Tickets are $5 for students, faculty and members of the Arts Council and $10 for the general public. They can be purchased through the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council by calling 662-236-6429 or in person at The Powerhouse Community Arts Center in Oxford. Tickets will also be sold at the door.
The play centers on main character Val, a blues guitarist, who is seeking redemption and trying to turn his back on a corrupt life. It runs just over three hours with two intermissions.
“We all know the success of the Blues Trail that brings visitors to Memphis and Mississippi,” said Wayne Andrews, director of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. “Now, because of the popularity of many Mississippi writers, art groups are trying apply the idea to a literary trail that will help theater companies around the country discover the roots of the plays they produce.”
The performances are funded through a grant from the CREATE Foundation with support from the University of Mississippi, Mississippi Economic Development, Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express of Oxford.
“The goal is to create a literary trail encouraging theater producers who are presenting works by Mississippi writers to reach back to the roots of the work and promote both the work and the region,” Andrews said.