Matt Newlin as Tennessee Williams, in First Run Theater's TENN at the Kranzberg. Courtesy of First Run Theater
– By Cate Marquis –
It starts with a table lamp, and playwright Tennessee Williams recalling the people and events in his life involved in the lead up to the Broadway opening night of his first theatrical hit “The Glass Menagerie.”
First Run Theater’s “Tenn” is a charming, playful and delightful memory play mixed with historical fiction, focuses on the real people and events in Tennessee Williams’ life, as the playwright recalls the early days of his career and the lead-up to the Broadway opening that changed it all.
First Run specializes in new plays, and this is a delightful one, written by Aaron Scully and well-directed by Julie George-Carlson. Matt Newlin plays Tennessee Williams, or Tenn as his friends call him, who both narrates this appealing, non-linear tale, and appears in scenes of his younger self, as the playwright looks back. The narration has enormous charm and is sprinkled with dry humor, and actor Matt Newlin captures the playwright’s voice well in this partly-narrated, partly-recreated tale mixed with fiction and a bit of fun.
The play is very appealing and entertaining as well as offering insights on how this first production came together, the writing process and the personal experiences it drew on, and other biographical details about the playwright, at this turning point in his life and career. The narrator is looking back from years later in his life, his present, but the time he is remembering spans the years from 1939, when he was a struggling young playwright, to the 1945 Broadway debut of the play. “Tenn” takes place in New York, at various locations, and in Chicago, where “The Glass Menagerie” had it’s out-of-town opening.
The story bounces back and forth in time but is easy to follow. The moments in touches on include when director/producer Eddie Dowling (Kevin Bailey), having just read “The Glass Menagerie,” meets with the young budding playwright Tenn and tells him he plans to produce and direct the play, as well as act in it, as a cost-saving measure. Tenn is thrilled and nervous, as well as a bit surprised, at the prospect, as his first crack at Broadway had been an unmitigated disaster.
Director/producer Eddie brings the project together by recruiting financier Louis Singer (Charles Huevelman) and more significantly, actress Laurette Taylor (a marvelous Dorothy LaBounty).
That moment brings back other memories from Tenn’s earliest days, like his first encounter with Audrey Wood (Kelli Rao), the literary agent who first discovered him and became his staunch supporter. The play also depicts Eddie calling on gifted but now aging and drunken actress Laurette Taylor. Laurette has fallen on hard times but initially resists the idea of playing the lead character. However, Eddie knows that the gifted, flamboyantly-entertaining Laurette is the only one with the right magic to bring this character to life, and she is persuaded by Eddie’s passion for the play.
The play was drawn from various moments as the play is being written and leading up to being presented on stage, before it’s Broadway opening night, and the people who played a role in that, including Donald Windham (Kyle Reeves), also a struggling playwright, with whom Tenn had a relationship.
As narrator, Tennessee Williams talks about his own life and these important people, in a droll, very entertaining way in this often funny, warm and insightful play.
The whole cast brings this to life beautifully. While Matt Newlin, with his perfect soft accent, is the center of things as Tenn, each cast member is deserving of praise. Each character is fully drawn and fascinating. Dorothy LaBounty is particularly delightful as the hard-drinking, theatrical and unreliable Laurette, who magically transforms when she steps on stage. Kevin Bailey and Kelli Rao are both appealing as the supportive Eddie Dowling and Audrey Wood, effectively portraying their various frustrations and moments when they must scramble as things go off track. One big agent of chaos is LaBounty’s wonderful Laurette, the unpredictable leading lady who wavers between supreme confidence in her talent, gratitude for this chance, and her personal battles with her own demons and the bottle, while sometimes just indulging her innate impulse to be wild. On top of that, there are plenty of other fires to put out, including panic-prone backer Louis Singer, played well by Charles Huevelman. Kyle Reeves, as Donald Windham, helps round out Tenn’s personal and inner life, while adding snappy patter with Tenn and a touch of heartbreak as well, as the playwright transforms from Tom Williams to Tennessee.
“Tenn” is presented in the little Kranzberg Black Box Theater. Despite limitations of space, “Tenn” beautifully presents a dazzling array of locations, with creative set design and lovely props, moved smoothly by a team of stagehands. Likewise costumes are dazzling, and some set elements, like a blue, plush old fainting couch, as so perfect they are almost characters in themselves.
The range of sets in this play alone makes it an impressive feat, but it is the splendid acting that really makes the production such a success. All together, “Tenn” offers an evening of delights.
First Run Theater’s “Tenn” is on stage at the Kranzberg Black Box Theater through Aug. 9, 2026.
© Cate Marquis
