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Inside Tennessee Williams' world

'Year of the Iguana' offers a glimpse of the playwright's life

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On Stage
'Year of the Iguana'

Thomas Lanier Williams — aka Tennessee Williams — is the subject of a new play by local playwright Claude Solnick, which has its premiere at the Studio Theatre. The play, which mixes lyricism and life, focuses on Williams and his sister Rose, who helped lay the groundwork for many of his most famous characters and stories. It looks at how Williams sought to protect his sister and what happened when their parents turned to medicine to tame and change her character and behavior. Rose’s own personal tragedies in turn fueled Williams’ work. The play shows how forces seemed to be engaged in a war within Williams who sought to reconcile aspects of his life, and the incarnations of his family members, in a single soul. “Tennessee Williams was a huge success and still someone who struggled,” Solnik said. “He lived many of his stories, but was able to step out from them and tell them in a way that still resonates today.”
Thursday through Saturday, July 28-30, 8 p.m.; Sunday, July 31, 2:30 p.m. $25. Studio Theatre, 141 S. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst. (631) 226-8400 or www.studiotheatreli.com.

At the Movies

Films By the Beach
Another film festival is upon us, this time in the City by Sea. The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) celebrates its fifth anniversary with an action-packed line up of 40 independent and studio films from around the globe. During its action-paced three days, LBIFF will feature an array of nightly special events, including red carpet premieres, gala celebrations, filmmaker receptions, compelling filmmaker Q&As, industry seminars and musical performances. Among the performers, singer-songwriter Brooke Moriber is featured on Friday. Films being screened include the documentary “Saving Jamaica Bay,” about a community’s fight against the government and Hurricane Sandy to preserve a precious resource that had become a dumping ground for garbage and murdered mobsters; the thriller “Money,”
a tale of two wealthy businessmen who are about to get away with $5 million in ill-gotten money until their plans are revealed by an uninvited house guest; and the feature “Nobody Walks in L.A.,” that tells the story of two old friends who put their lives on pause for a day and do the unthinkable…walk around Los Angeles.
Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 3-5. Long Beach Cinema 4, 179 East Park Ave., and Allegria Hotel Beachfront, 80 West Broadway, Long Beach. Visit www.longbeachfilm.com for schedule and ticket information.

Seasonal Delights

Farm to Table
Old Westbury Gardens is the setting for a special Farm to Table dinner at its newly restored Barn at Orchard Hill. The evening will feature a cocktail reception, followed by a hearty and creative dinner presented by chef Kim Klopstock’s Lily and the Rose Catering of Saratoga Springs and Manhattan. The menu features local organic and bio-dynamically farm raised greens and vegetables and sustainably harvested meat and fish. Dine in elegant ambiance and listen to the scintillating sounds from the acoustic guitar and soothing voice of another locally raised product, Long Island’s own Johnny Cuomo.
Saturday, Aug. 6, 6:30 p.m. $150, includes cocktail hour, wine and dinner. Seating is limited. Reservations required. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. (516) 333-0048 or www.oldwestburygardens.org.