I could not have staged this better

Does this happen to you:

You think you've read or seen something, but when you do read or see it you realize you've been mistaken the entire time?

Despite being an avid reader and theater-goer, I discovered a huge gap in my knowledge last year. It started when I checked out Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to "refresh my memory", and I realized I'd never read the play or seen a production of it. I was blown away, and just a bit annoyed at myself for not having devoured Tennessee Williams' output earlier and more regularly. Sure, I'd read a scene or two from The Glass Menagerie in some English class or other, and I know for a fact that I'd watched A Streetcar Named Desire within the past decade. But for some reason, Cat just clicked with me, and I proceeded to seek out Williams' short stories and the film adaptations of his plays. I wished with all my heart that I'd have the opportunity to see one of his plays performed, and soon.

That was last year. This year, in a delightful serendipity, the Albuquerque Theatre Guild is organizing the Albuquerque Tennessee Williams Festival 2011. You see, it's his 100th birthday, and playhouses all over the city are putting on plays both written by him and inspired by him. While I may not be able to make each and every event, one I will definitely be checking out is the Vortex Theatre's production of Night of the Iguana, starting on March 25. It seems I discovered Tennessee Williams just in time!

Check out the full schedule of the Albuquerque Tennessee Williams Festival 2011 events here. After all, you may think Albuquerque is far, but it's not as far as New Orleans.