Norfolk, VA - Virginia Stage Company welcomes theatre lovers of Hampton Roads and all around as it opens the curtain on it’s Forty-Fourth Season with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof written by Tennessee Williams at The Historic Wells Theater (108 East Tazewell Street, Norfolk VA) to be performed September 14th - October 2nd, 2022.

Virginia Stage Company joins the ranks of other performing arts organizations returning from the pandemic with a renewed vigor to connect world-class live theater with the passionate audiences of Hampton Roads. Khanisha Foster, a familiar artist to VSC Audiences, returns to bring the three year long awaited Williams play to life on the stage. Having directed such thought-provoking works at the Wells like The Bluest Eye and Disgraced; the beginning of this season promises to be unforgettable. Khanisha is joined by an incredible creative team made up of some of VSC’s most memorable designers; scenic design by Josafath Reynoso (The Bluest Eye, Disgrace), costume design by  Bryce Turgeon (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Dreamgirls), lighting design by David Castaneda (Parchman Hour, The Bluest Eye), and sound design by Steven Allegretto (Guys & Dolls, Dreamgirls)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is one of Tennesee Williams’ most famous works, and arguably his most controversial. Penned in the 1950s and revised in the 1970s to make it more ‘digestable’ to the  mainstream, this Pulitzer Prize-Winning Drama paints a portrait of a family in crisis in the steamy Mississippi South. A birthday celebration brings secrets to the surface as everyone gathers at the family home. With Big Daddy’s dwindling health, Brick’s troubled past, and Maggie’s desperation for love and money, will the truth ever be revealed? As Khanisha read this work, stories and histories from her own past bubbled up and led to a unique approach to this work that she has come to be known for.  She states:

“What really led me to bring this living history into Cat was Strom Thurmond. He and a Black woman…had a love affair. She got pregnant. They didn’t marry as they wanted to, but they had the child. For years Strom Thurmond would visit his daughter at college... and ask after her mother. Well, one year she told him that her mother had died. It was after this news that Strom Thurmond started to enact laws that devastated Black people.  What does it mean to repress your feelings for someone you love so much that after they die you want to punish everyone that looks like them? Is like them? That’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. After that, our path for this play became clear.”

Producing Artistic Director Tom Quaintance is thrilled with the team of artists that are working on this production.. “This cast can only be described as a force of nature…Big Daddy (Jeff King) and Marsha Estell (Big Mama) command the space in a way that’s indescribable. Maggie (Anna Sundberg) and Brick (Greg Warren) have this electric interaction that made me miss live theatre more than I ever have.” The fiery conviction of Williams’ words will surely deliver a powerhouse experience of live theater that arts lovers in Hampton Roads will not want to miss.

ENTRY POLICY 

We have updated our Entry Policy on 8/26/22.  For this upcoming production, we request all patrons to continue to wear masks inside the theatre. To review our policy, visit: https://www.vastage.org/entry  

TICKETS

Performances of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are scheduled Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30pm, Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm at The Historic Wells Theatre, located at 108 E. Tazewell Street, Norfolk Va. Tickets range from $25 - $68. Membership packages for Virginia Stage Company include a five show package starting at $125.00, or our flexible Theatre on Demand Packages starting at $196.00. Virginia Stage Company Members receive numerous benefits, including 20% savings on every show, unlimited exchanges with no exchange fees, discounts at local Hampton Roads establishments. and additional discounts for in-house concessions and drinks.

The Young Professionals Membership is available for Young Professionals ages 20 - 45 starting at $125.00. This membership includes invitations to preshow receptions to network with local professionals in the Hampton Roads area. The Hampton Roads Pride Night membership starts at $135.00 and includes networking opportunities around VSC performances to connect and meet members of the Hampton Roads LGBTQIA+ Community.

Subscription packages and single tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (757) 627-1234 Monday through Friday from 10am - 5pm or visiting https://tickets.vastage.org/packages 

Interviews can be arranged by contacting Director of Marketing, Maris Smith, at msmith@vastage.org.

Virginia Stage Company is Southeastern Virginia’s leading theatre destination, serving an audience of over 58,000 annually, both at the Wells Theatre and throughout the community. Virginia Stage Company’s mission is to “enrich, educate, and entertain the region by creating and producing theatrical art of the highest quality.”

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