Summer and Smoke

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Summer and Smoke

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  6w, 8m

Tennessee Williams

Summer and Smoke is a simple love story of a somewhat puritanical Southern girl and an unpuritanical young doctor.

Image: 2018 Almeida Theatre Production (Marc Brenner)

Summer and Smoke

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 8m
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2019 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play

Details

Summary
A play that is profoundly affecting, Summer and Smoke is a simple love story of a somewhat puritanical Southern girl and an unpuritanical young doctor. Each is basically attracted to the other but because of their divergent attitudes toward life, each over the course of years is driven away from the other. Not until the end does the doctor realize that the girl's high idealism is ultimately right, and while she is still in love with him, it turns out that neither time nor circumstances will allow the two to come together. Because of the explicit details provided by the author's production notes, the stage directions, and the diagram of the set design, nonprofessionals should have no difficulty in mounting the play effectively.
History

Summer and Smoke premiered at the Magic Box Theatre in New York City in March 1948 under the direction of Margo Jones.

Keywords
Performing Groups
REV. WINEMILLER
MRS. WINEMILLER
JOHN BUCHANAN JR.
ALMA WINEMILLER
ROSA GONZALES
NELLIE EWELL
ROGER DOREMUS
DR. JOHN BUCHANAN SR.
MRS. BASETT
VERNON
ROSEMARY
DUSTIE
GONZALES
ARCHIE KRAMER
  • Time Period 1910s / WWI, 1900-1910
  • Setting Glorious Hill, MS. Turn of the centruy to 1916.
  • Features Period Costumes

Media

“Simmering desire.” — Financial Times

“Williams challenges the lazy binaries by which women are so often defined: prude or slut, angel or devil.” — The Arts Desk

Photos

  • Summer and Smoke

    Image: 2018 Almeida Theatre Production (Marc Brenner)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) explored passion with daring honesty and forged a poetic theatre of raw psychological insight that shattered conventional proprieties and transformed the American stage. The autobiographical The Glass Menagerie brought what Mr. Williams called “ ...
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