Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” by Tennessee Williams will be performed at New Stage Theater this fall. Credit: The Library of Congress

Note: This article has been revised. The orginal article mistakenly identified the estranged married couple as Maggie and Buck instead of Maggie and Brick.

Set in the Mississippi Delta, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is a story about greed, passion and an old man named Big Daddy. New Stage Theatre takes on Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play in October as this season’s American Classic production.

The last time New Stage performed a piece by Williams was its 1992 production of “Glass Menagerie.” Artistic Director Francine Reynolds says it is time for Williams to make a grand comeback. “He is a Mississippi great and a wonderful playwright. … ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ is such a masterpiece of his.”

Born in 1911 in Columbus, Miss., Williams wrote numerous short stories and prize-winning plays, including “A Streetcar Named Desire,” his first Pulitzer Prize winner;”The Night of the Iguana,” winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award; and the Tony Award-winning “The Rose Tattoo.”

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” explores the relationship between an estranged married couple, Maggie and Brick, and the relationship among family members vying for their share of Big Daddy’s fortune. Big Daddy’s illness creates a feeding frenzy in the family over his fortune. Maggie “The Cat” fights for the love of her husband, an alcoholic haunted by his high school friend’s death. Like sharks to bait, family members feed on the couple’s vulnerability. Death, jealousy and money catalyze the circumstances that expose each character’s true nature in this thrilling drama.

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is at New Stage Theatre Oct. 27 through Nov. 8; Wednesday through Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22; $18 for seniors and students.

Previous Comments

The members of the estranged married couple are named Maggie and Brick, not Maggie and Buck.

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.