Armistead Maupin is the author of the nine book "Tales of the City" series. He is also the author of Maybe the Moon and The Night Listener (Made into a feature film staring Robin Williams). He lives in San Francisco and Santa Fe.
Lahr tells the story of Williams life through his plays. Williams died in 1983. Lady Maria Saint Just (who they referred to as a 'Fag Hag' and Lahr said she was the model for Maggie the Cat) was the executor of Williams estate and over controlled the first attempt at a biography. The first biography was titled "Tom: The Unknown Tennessee Williams" written by Lyle Leverich and covers the early years of Williams' life. Leverich died in 1995 and left a note in his will asking Lahr to complete the biography.
Lahr said that the plays interpret Williams interior life at the time of their writing. He refers to a man who was living with Williams at the time was the model for Stanley Kowalski in "Street Car Named Desire." Lahr described the character as a primitive romantic and a sexual ideal.
Other phrases from Lahr were "promiscuity is a force of creation," and that Williams called himself "the definition of an hysteric." He said that Williams is the narrator and a character in all of his plays. Lahr said that Williams mother never gave affection but that she "verbed" her children and never touched them. The mother took half of the royalties of the plays and was with him at the openings. Lahrs said it was Williams "Oedipal Victory" in that he gave his mother money so she would get rid of his father. Sister Rose was sent to a sanatorium, lobotomized, and received 66 electroshock treatments.
Lahr said that the opening of "Street Car" was a triumphant moment. After "Summer and Smoke" Williams felt like a failure. Another interesting story was when Williams road around Manhattan on the back of a motor cycle with Marlon Brando...considered a sexual thrill. Arthur Miller said that Williams influenced him to write "Death of a Salesman."
Williams greatest success was between two wars, 1945-1965. Lahrs said tht he bet his life on his imagination and won but then became problematic. Towards the end of Williams' life, he was trotted out to parties and photo opportunities. At one in San Francisco, which was the only time he saw Williams in person, Maupin said he was turned off by "the grimiest image of fame" so he went outside to smoke a joint. Williams joined him...didn't talk but just shared a joint.
Lahr gave other examples of how Williams' life was described by his plays:
"Sweet Bird of Youth" he chases death by drinking, taking drugs.
"Summer and Smoke" he devoured himself...a life of slow suicide.
When Williams died his body was loaded the Seconal, proof that he killed himself.
His last play was "House not meant to stand."
Lahr talked about the important working relationship that Williams had with Elia Kazan, the director. He said that Kazan was like a forceful father, powerful, great director with a similar background. He had a great gift for structure. Lahr said that Kazan coached the development of characters like "Big Daddy" and Maggie out of Williams who was willing to do "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in one act. The partnership broke up after "Sweet Bird of Youth" in a storm of sensation letters.
The audience thoroughly enjoyed the conversation between two great writes about another and many purchase the book "Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of The Flesh." Here are a couple pictures from the Aloud web site from the evening:
 |
| Armistead Maupin is on the left in this picture and John Lahr is the one with the colorful socks. |
No comments:
Post a Comment