Daniel K. Isaac & Juan Francisco Villa

 

 

by Magda Katz

 

Daniel K. Isaac (Showtime’s ‘Billions’) and Juan Francisco Villa (Oedipus El Rey), who play William Inge and Tennessee Williams in the upcoming Abingdon Theatre Company production The Gentleman Caller, met with Theater Pizzazz’ Magda Katz to talk about their preparation for the roles and the legacies of the two icons.

Although now regarded as two of history’s finest American playwrights, back in 1944, William Inge and Tennessee Williams hadn’t yet experienced anything close to success. The Gentleman Caller, a new play by Philip Dawkins (Charm, Le Switch, The Homosexuals), takes us back in time before the Chicago premiere of The Glass Menagerie. Inge, a dissatisfied newspaper critic, invites Williams to his St. Louis apartment for an interview. This sexy, fraught rendezvous sparks a relationship, which radically alters the course of their lives and the American Theatre.

 

The Gentleman Caller will be seen at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) from May 5 thru 26, directed by Tony Speciale.    www.abingdontheatre.org