SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Christopher Henley

Performing at Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two

Set in the hothouse of New Orlean’s Garden District, Suddenly Last Summer has all the hallmarks of a Tennessee Williams masterpiece: exotic locales, tortured psyches, glorious, lyrical language, and Williams' gift for creating vivid, unforgettable characters. An elderly socialite mourns the death of her poet son, who died under mysterious circumstances while vacationing at an island resort. Eager to protect her son’s image, she hires a doctor to silence the only witness to the tragic event--but the shattering truth fights its way to the surface, as it always does in Williams’ world. In the great Avant Bard tradition of providing audiences an opportunity to see something they may have read but have never seen--or have seen the movie version but have never seen it on-stage--audiences can learn first-hand what happened last summer, and experience the unique and exhilarating beauty of this quintessential Williams classic. Directed by Artistic Director Emeritus Christopher Henley, Suddenly Last Summer will be produced along with Ada and the Engine as a part of Avant Bard’s 30th Anniversary Spring Repertory.

Suddenly Last Summer also features a pre-show one act performance starting at curtain time, Talk To Me Like The Rain and Let Me Listen.

Talk To Me Like The Rain… runs 28 minutes, & Suddenly Last Summer runs 100 minutes.

There is one 10-minute intermission following
Talk To Me Like The Rain And Let Me Listen.

Please be advised that these performances contains smoke effects, drug use, and other adult themes. If you have questions or concerns, please call the box office or consult with house management at will call.

Please select a performance
 
 

After close consultation with Arlington County Cultural Affairs, Avant Bard Theatre will be cancelling the 2020 Spring Repertory effective immediately. This includes all future performances of both Ada and the Engine and Suddenly Last Summer.

Avant Bard is dedicated to presenting intimate, accessible theatre, but we must prioritize the health and well-being of our audiences, performers, and staff.

If you’ve purchased tickets, you will receive an email from us about next steps. Due to the high volume of patrons impacted, we ask for your patience with us at this time while we process these communications.

Finally, we’d like to acknowledge the many artists whose professional lives are deeply impacted by this cancellation and affirm our commitment to pay them. If you’d like to support us in keeping that commitment, you can make a contribution to Avant Bard here.