Suddenly Last Summer is a 1958 play by Tennessee Williams set in New Orleans in 1936.  It’s currently being performed by Riot King at Sorry Studios in a production directed by Kathleen Welch.

It’s an extremely interesting piece in part at least because it deals with subject matter, homosexuality, that could only be tackled extremely indirectly at the time.  But let’s get the basics straight first before we get on to the rather subtle way Williams draws out his themes.  The play opens with a wealthy society widow, Violet Venable, entertaining a young psychiatrist, Dr. Cukrowicz (“Dr. Sugar”) in the garden of her Garden District home.  She tells of her relationship with her son; an impeccably dressed poet who writes one exquisite poem a year and dresses in white silk suits and Panama hats.  She is also at pains to point out that he only surrounds himself with the most beautiful things and people and that his physical appearance has not changed as he has aged.  This set of attributes would, of course, have suggested to an educated audience a very “sensitive” young man!  Violet is also very concerned to persuade the doctor that Sebastian’s appearance remained youthful as he grew older.  At least to the point where he ditched her as a travel companion for his cousin Catherine.  I’m not sure it can get any Oscar Wildier.

The mother is concerned to preserve her son’s posthumous reputation (though it’s not entirely clear he has one) but one thing stands in the way; his travelling companion and cousin Catherine Holly’s version of the events surrounding his death.  So far Violet has succeeded in having Catherine committed to a private mental institution but drug and shock therapy have not caused her to change her story that, essentially, Sebastian had been picking up rough trade on the beach in Spain using Catherine in some way as his procuress.  The clear implication too is that his mother played this role on earlier trips though in rather politer society.  The actual death at the hands of a mob of feral youths from among whom Sebastian has been recruiting is gruesome and possibly involves cannibalism.  This all comes out quite gradually but from Violet’s perspective it is imperative to shut Catherine up (literally and figuratively).  Only by so doing can she protect her son’s reputation, and, with it, her coveted social position.

But thus far Catherine is “unrepentant” and no form of pressure has so far caused her to change her story.  Drugs, confinement, electric shocks and the withholding of an inheritance her family desperately needs have all failed.  Enter Dr. Sugar of the State Lunatic Asylum who is conducting cutting edge (pun intended) research on lobotomy. Up to now his experimental subjects have been violent criminals but can he, in return for a suitable donation towards his research,  “cut this horrible story” from Catherine’s brain?  Fortunately the doctor has scruples and insists on hearing Catherine tell the story under the influence of a “truth drug”.  In this, the denouement, all the ghastly details come tumbling out to the horror of Violet.  She is restrained from assaulting Violet and the doctor closes the play by stating that he believes Catherine.  And so, I suppose, they all lived unhappily ever after.  It’s Tennessee Williams after all.

So, yes, it’s Tennessee Williams but it’s quite nuanced and lyrical Williams rather than a group of drunk and angry family members shouting at each other so it takes some real subtlety to pull off.  The horror has to unfold at just the right pace and with enough indirectness to keep us to some extent guessing.  This comes off very effectively in the Riot King production.  It helps that it’s in a very intimate space; maybe forty seats, exotically decorated with carnivorous and other lush plants.  But it’s two strong and contrasting performances from the two female leads that really make it.  Elaine Lindo’s Violet is a model of restraint.  She oozes privilege backed up by a massive sense of entitlement but it rarely boils over beyond suggestion and allusion.  But there’s no mistaking the viciousness and moral vacuity that lies behind the over-civilized facade.  Lindsey Middleton’s Catherine on the other hand is high energy and intensely physical.  It’s a convincing portrayal of a young woman on the edge.  She may (it’s not clear) have been a bit disturbed (or maybe just more interested in men than was considered polite) before she went to Europe with Sebastian but after all the bullying and coercive psychiatric treatment (torture by modern standards) she is clearly right on the edge.   All she has left is the Truth and nothing is gong to shake her from that though she’s clearly desperate.  Two wonderful performances set against which Ryan Iwanicki, as the doctor, is almost the voice of Sanity (in short supply here).  He’s also really effective with enough of an “I’m the doctor here” steel to balance a basically accommodating character.

The remainder of the cast are also rather good.  Brendan Kinnon as Catherin’s brother and Carling Tedesco as her mother are convincing enough as the neople who will do almost anything to free up their inheritance.  It’s pretty clear that they would prefer to bully Catherine into changing her story but there’s no sense that they would oppose lobotomy if push came to shove.  The cast is rounded out by two “downtrodden women”; Catherine’s minder Sister Felicity and Violet’s companion Miss Foxhill, played respectively and effectively by Jobina Sitoh and Shahdan Rahbari.  There’s also a very effective and immersive sound stage; designed and effected (I think) by Kathleen Welch.

All in all it’s a compelling 90 minutes of theatre.  It’s running tonight through Sunday with two performances on Saturday.  Weeknight tickets will likely have sold out by the time you read this but there should be availability on the weekend.  Tickets here.

Photo credits: Danielle Thorn