I am very excited to announce that the production I will be directing this fall one of Tennessee Williams most wildly creative plays, Now The Cats With Jewelled Claws, will star John Waters film phenomenon Mink Stole, together with Everett Quinton, a core member of Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company. The production will be premiering at the 6th Annual Provincetown Tennessee William Festival, September 22-25, 2011, before opening the 50th Anniversary Season at The Club at LaMaMa ETC, for a run from October 27-November 13, 2011.

The opening stage directions read “A luncheon table at the window of a restaurant. Outside the window, there is a deserted street, with the marquee of a cinema visible. The feature playing at the cinema is Defiance of Decency, which is followed by four stars.” Conversations in a restaurant between two socialite women friends, a roughed up pregnant waitress, two young gay hustlers with pink leather jackets emblazoned with “The Mystic Rose”, and a lecherous, prophetic restaurant manager. Apocalyptic, funny, musical, physical, wild, futuristic, shamanistic. Tennessee Williams at his experimental best.

Mink Stole’s career as an actor began nearly 45 years ago, when she was introduced to John Waters in Provincetown in the summer of 1966. She has since appeared in 13 films directed by Mr. Waters, creating such roles as Connie Marble in “Pink Flamingos,” Taffy Davenport in “Female Trouble,” and Dottie Hinkle in “Serial Mom.” Among her non-John Waters roles, she has played Natasha Lyonne’s mom in Jamie Babbit’s “But I’m a Cheerleader,” and a bible-addled death row inmate in Steve Balderson’s “Stuck!” In last year’s “All About Evil,” directed by Joshua Grannell, she was Evelyn, the too-talkative librarian, and this year she continued her recurring role as Aunt Helen in installments Four and Five of the popular Eating Out film series by Q. Alan Brocka. On stage, Mink was lucky to have the chance to work on two shows with the late, great Charles Ludlam, Love’s Tangled Web, and Secret Lives of the Sexists. She worked with the legendary Cockettes in the early 1970s. More recently, she appeared as Autolycus in the L.A. Women’s Shakespeare Company’s production of The Winter’s Tale, which role led her to her new passion, music. With her Wonderful Band (West Coast and East Coast editions) for the last few years she has been performing cabaret act, “Do Re MiNK,” and her Christmas show. She is currently working on her first CD.

Everett Quinton has recently appeared in The Witch of Edmonton at Red Bull Theater, as Florence Wexler in Devil Boys from Beyond at New World Stages, as Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., and as Jacob Marley in The McCarter Theatre’s A Christmas Carol. Everett is also a member of Cleveland State University’s Summer Stages where he appeared as Madam Rosepettle in O Dad, Poor Dad, Mama’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feeling So Sad. Everett previously appeared at Red Bull Theater in Women Beware Women (2008 Callaway Award, Best Actor). Everett was a member of The Ridiculous Theatrical Company and served as its Artistic Director from 1987-1997. He has appeared in Charles Ludlam’s Medea, The Secret Lives of the Sexists, Salammbo, Galas, The Artificial Jungle and the original production of The Mystery of Irma Vep (Obie and Drama Desk Award). He was also seen in Georg Osterman’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Brother Truckers (Bessie Award); Richard and Michael Simon’s Murder at Minsing Manor (Drama League Award); as well as in his own plays: Carmen, Linda, Movieland, A Tale of Two Cities (Obie Award), and Call Me Sarah Bernhardt. Everett has directed revivals of Charles Ludlam’s Big Hotel, Camille, Der Ring Gott Farblonjet and How to Write a Play. He also directed Brother Truckers (in New York, London and as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Carmen, Sebastian Stewart’s Under the Kerosene Moon, as well as The Beaux Stratagem at the Yale Rep and Treasure Island at the Omaha Theatre for Young People. Film and TV credits include “Natural Born Killers,” “Big Business,” “Deadly Illusion,” “Forever Lulu,” “Miami Vice” and “Law & Order.”

For tickets to the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival, click here.

For more about my directing work, see jonathanwarman.com.