Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a 1955 play by the classic American playwright Tennessee Williams. This show features a cast of eight amazing actors who all give amazing, layered performances. This production stars junior Matt Henshaw as Brick, senior Jordan Norkus as Maggie, senior Nicole Jablonski as Big Mama, senior Katherine Horne as Mae, sophomore Justin Weigel as Gooper, senior Patrick Robinson as Big Daddy, junior Kevin Carlson as Reverend Tooker, and sophomore Sven Vogel as the doctor.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof focuses on the Pollitt family and their relationships to one another in particular the tumultuous relationship between Brick and his wife Maggie. Despite the show being sixty-three years old it’s themes of greed, superficiality, and family dysfunction still ring true today helping to explain why it remains a popular play. In addition Williams’ dialogue is real, raw, and powerful. Despite being a heavy and often times dark drama, Williams manages to sneak in bits of comedy often times just when things are at their worst.
The set for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is simple yet beautiful. The entire stage is transformed in to the bedroom of Brick and Maggie including a bed on side of the stage and a sofa and chair on the other side. Along the back wall there’s a liquor cabinet that Brick spends most of his time either near or trying to get to. The walls are painted a beautiful shade of yellow-gold. One of the most fascinating things to me about this show is the fact half the cast is seniors, which I feel, adds to the theme of the ending of an era. All of the seniors gave, in my opinion, the best performances of their Sacred Heart careers really showing just how much they’ve grown in four short years as they’ve always been phenomenal performers. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs for approximately two and half hours and features two intermissions that totals up the typical fifteen-minute intermission.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is directed by Kevin Connors, assistant directed by freshman Erica Alloca, stage managed by junior Julie Palumberi, and produced by sophomore Sven Vogel. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs for one more weekend, Thursday March 22nd through Sunday March 25th. The shows on Thursday through Saturday begin at eight o’clock PM and the Sunday show begins at three o’clock PM. Call the box office or visit edgertoncemter.org for information about tickets but do it as soon as possible as the finale weekend of shows may sell out. Even if the show doesn’t sell out be sure ask about tickets to In the Heights which runs for one weekend only from Thursday April 12th to Sunday April 15th.