Tennessee Williams’ 1955 play Cat On A Hot Tin Roof has often been hailed as one of the great plays of the twentieth century. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, which takes place in the sweltering Mississippi Delta, centers around the fractured family of a mega-rich cotton mogul who everyone calls “Big Daddy.
On the surface life on this multimillion dollar ornate sprawling estate, where the entire family lives, might seem idyllic. But it’s anything but that.
Maggie, who has married into the family, is miserable. Her husband, Brick, who is Big Daddy’s son, is most invested in getting his next drink than anything else. He also looks at Maggie with great contempt. Meanwhile, Maggie’s brother-in-law and wife are angling to get control of the family’s multi-million dollar fortune.Even Tennessee Williams, called the theme of the play “the affliction of loneliness.” Said Williams, “It follows me like a shadow.So when Courtney Henggeler, who plays Maggie in the most recent Ruth Stage production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, was asked if she had any advice for her character, she had two words: “Girl. Run.”
Making her debut on a New York City stage it’s an epic part for Henggeler. “The role of Maggie is iconic. Too iconic. And having very minimal theater experience I felt she was out of my league,” says Henggeler who plays Amanda Larusso opposite Ralph Macchio in the Netflix hit Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid series reboot.But the more I read the play the more I realized I get her. I really get her. And I love her. I knew I would be a goddamn idiot if I turned this opportunity down.Now playing at Theatre at St. Clement’s and directed by Joe Rosario, the cast also includes Matt de Rogatis as Brick, Frederick Weller as Big Daddy and Alison Fraser as Big Mama.
0 Comments