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Becoming Tennessee Williams

Presented by Harry Ransom Center at Harry Ransom Center

February 1-July 31, 2011

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"Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion."

—Tom in The Glass Menagerie, 1944

With his plays The Glass Menagerie (1945) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) reinvented the theater. He claimed the province of transformation, and memory was the fertile ground from which his plays originated.

Williams peopled the theater with characters grafted from life onto imagination. As he explained to his literary agent Audrey Wood: "I have only one major theme for my work which is the destructive impact of society on the non-conformist individual."

His keen insights gave rise to an astonishing body of work, unequaled by almost any other twentieth-century playwright. Although he was also a gifted poet and short-story writer, it was the metamorphic possibilities of live performance that most inspired him. That writing remains fresh and startling, and his plays are still produced around the world.

This centenary exhibition draws on the Ransom Center's extensive collection of Tennessee Williams manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, and artwork to explore the idea, act, and process of artistic creation, illuminating how Thomas Lanier Williams became Tennessee Williams.

• At-a-
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  • Venue Info

    Harry Ransom Center

    300 West 21st Street
    Austin, TX 78712

    Full map and directions

  • Admission Info

    Tickets:

    Free

  • Dates & Times

    Dates:
    February 1-July 31, 2011

    Times:
    

    Tues-Fri. 10-5, Thur 10-7, Sat-Sun 12-5

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    • Event Name: Becoming Tennessee Williams
      "A Great Collection!"
      Review posted by: Ruby Sinclair from Austin, TX, Feb 21, 2011
      

      Since moving to Austin, I have been very impressed with the work that the Harry Ransom Center does and exhibits that they are able to bring to Austin. Becoming Tennessee Williams is no exception!... Expand

      Since moving to Austin, I have been very impressed with the work that the Harry Ransom Center does and exhibits that they are able to bring to Austin. Becoming Tennessee Williams is no exception! Williams has brought so much to the literary and theatrical world. This exhibit is a fantastic look into the behind the scenes of his creative contribution to the world. I would very much recommend checking it out! Collapse

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  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: Becoming Tennessee Williams
      "A Great Collection!"
      Review posted by: Ruby Sinclair from Austin, TX, Feb 21, 2011
      

      Since moving to Austin, I have been very impressed with the work that the Harry Ransom Center does and exhibits that they are able to bring to Austin. Becoming Tennessee Williams is no exception!... Expand

      Since moving to Austin, I have been very impressed with the work that the Harry Ransom Center does and exhibits that they are able to bring to Austin. Becoming Tennessee Williams is no exception! Williams has brought so much to the literary and theatrical world. This exhibit is a fantastic look into the behind the scenes of his creative contribution to the world. I would very much recommend checking it out! Collapse

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