"Cat" production to be hot

FRANKLIN — Greed, alcoholism, family secrets, strong Southern roots, passion and so much more are blazing in Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” the upcoming production at the Teche Theatre.

Starting Saturday, the 17-member cast will put on four performances based on the legendary playwright, whom the director spent the last two years of college studying.

“Tennessee Williams was the first playwright I really ever directed,” said director Allison Jones, a theater graduate from Loyola University in Chicago. “I really fell in love with his work. He’s so well-rounded, and achieves the full scope of gender, class, race, etc. He was really ahead of his time, which is why I respect him so much.”

The plot centers around a Southern family that includes four main characters: Big Daddy, Big Mama, Maggie and Brick, said Ed Verdin, public relations coordinator and Teche Theatre board member who is also playing the role of Brick.

The play begins at Big Daddy’s 65th birthday party, which is tainted by greedy relatives surrounding Big Daddy who all know he is dying of cancer, but Big Daddy is not aware of his condition yet. Brick is Big Daddy’s favorite son.

“Maggie’s a person who goes after what she wants,” said Ladaisha Bowles, a Loyola University in Chicago theater graduate who plays Maggie, Brick’s wife. “Her objective is to try to get Brick’s attention and win his love back, and she’s the type of person who isn’t going to let anything get in the way of doing that.”

“Conniving” relatives are determined to get rid of Maggie and bring Brick down from the position of favorite son, but in the end, Maggie’s strength and passion, coupled with Brick’s love for his father, set everything well in the end.

Verdin said the play does not steer away from Williams’ original script, but is slightly different from the 1958 movie starring Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor.

“We always choose deep, challenging, thought-provoking dramas that showcase acting talent,” said Verdin. “Not to mention, the director is a Tennessee Williams aficionado.”

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, and at 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased at Fad’s News Stand in Franklin, and at the Teche Theatre Box Office for $13 on the days of the play.

Because the script contains adult language and content and mild violence, Verdin said people under 17 years old will not be allowed in without an adult.

For more information, call the Teche Theatre at 828-2787, or visit the Web site at www.ttpaonline.com.