Theater Talk: James Grissom on Tennessee Williams

Video Description

Our guest is James Grissom, author of "Follies of God: Tennessee Williams and the Women of the Fog," His new book about Tennessee Williams and the actresses who inspired the playwroghts greatest work, including Maureen Stapleton, Lillian Gish, Eva Le Gallienne, Jessica Tandy, Lois Smith and Marian Seldes. In 1982, Grissom, then a 20 year old college student, met Tennessee Williams. Although Grissom had written Williams a fan letter, Grissom was surprised when the celebrated playwright actually called with a lunch invitation. There began a friendship that ended with Williams' death less than a year after their meeting, but also resulted in this remarkable book over 30 years later. Grissom shares stories about not only Williams, but also Marlon Brando with whom he became friendly in the actor's last years. (Taped: 02-05-16) Theater Talk is a series devoted to the world of the stage. It began on New York television in 1993 and is co-hosted by Michael Riedel (Broadway columnist for the New York Post) and series producer Susan Haskins. The program is one of the few independent productions on PBS and now airs weekly on Thirteen/WNET in New York and WGBH in Boston. Now, CUNY TV offers New York City viewers additional opportunities to catch each week's show. (Of course, Theater Talk is no stranger to CUNY TV, since the show is taped here each week before its first airing on Thirteen/WNET.) The series is produced by Theater Talk Productions, a not-for-profit corporation and is funded by contributions from private foundations and individuals, as well as The New York State Council on the Arts. Watch more Theater Talk at http://www.tv.cuny.edu/show/theatertalk