Island City Stage is proud to present the classic play, Suddenly Last Summer, March 26 – April 26, 2020. Considered to be Tennessee Williams’ most poetic production, this story centers on Mrs. Violet Venable who is determined to lobotomize her niece, Catharine, to keep her quiet about the mysterious circumstances of her son’s death. Scandal and greed lurk around every corner, in addition to a little bit of cannibalism. OutClique had the pleasure of chatting more with Angie Radosh who plays Violet. A seasoned thespian, her work has been cited by New Times and BroadwayWorld.com, and she has received Silver Palm Awards for her appearances in Mothers and Sons (GableStage), The Glass Menagerie (New Theatre), and Speaking Elephant (Women’s Theatre Project). Her other South Florida credits include Florida Stage, Actors’ Playhouse, The Wick, and Zoetic Stage.

Denny Patterson: Hi, Angie! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. What can audiences expect from this upcoming production of Suddenly Last Summer?

Angie Radosh: Well, anybody who is familiar with the play knows what it’s about. Anybody who doesn’t know, I think they will be shocked and haunted. The play is so unforgettable, whether you have seen it or not, you will not leave without feeling something. It is an incredible bit of storytelling by Tennessee Williams, and it is so different from all his other work. I think that is why it’s not done often because it is so hauntingly beautiful in the writing. The story is so hard to embrace because it is so shocking. People will walk away feeling ambivalent about it. They are going to feel something, which is what I love about theatre. You can be entertained, shocked, educated, everything. This play does many, many things.

DP: What are you looking forward to the most about playing Violet Venable?

AR: I have had the pleasure of doing A Streetcar Named Desire as Blanche DuBois, and I did Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, two of his other heroines, and I have always wanted to do this play. I am at the right time in my life to do it, I’m at the right age now. Thank goodness I can still do it. I am looking forward to making this work. This character, it is so easy to hate her. She is not likeable, and to me the challenge is to find what drives her. In all of life, love is usually what drives us, so it’s finding the love. Nobody’s all good or all bad. If I were to play a character that was pristine, I would look to see what’s the darkness of that character. This is just the opposite. I need to find what it is about her that drives her from a point of love. It is the love of her son that we need to understand. It’s a unique kind of love.

DP: Did you audition for the show, or were you asked to be involved?

AR: I was doing a show called Breadcrumbs at Primal Forces, and Andy Rogow, the artistic director at Island City Stage and who is also directing this, came to see it and he talked with me afterwards about doing the role. I jumped at the chance. No matter what, I don’t want to miss doing this. He has seen my work before, so it was very nice to be approached that way rather than having to audition. It’s nice to be able to say yes right away.

DP: What kind of impact do you believe Tennessee Williams has made on the theatre world?

AR: I think he is one of the most prolific and successful playwrights. I think his writing has influenced so many actors and directors and designers and other writers because it is lyrical and beautifully written. As an actor, he writes beautifully. For both women and men. He is a true classic genius as far as I’m concerned. I think that’s why his plays last forever. They are true classics because they can be done 20, 30, 40 years from now and still have the impact that opening night audiences saw back in the 40s. Art reflects our culture and our society at the time, and I think he gave a lot of himself in his work. We know a lot about him through his writings. Like The Glass Menagerie, that is really his story. Suddenly Last Summer is also autobiographical in many ways because his sister did have a lobotomy, which is what is proposed in this play.

DP: Have you always had a passion for performing and acting?

AR: Oh, yes. I always have. High school is kind of where I found my place. I wasn’t smart enough to be a national merit, I wasn’t coordinated enough to be a cheerleader, and I really didn’t want to do that. I had a wonderful drama teacher and that is where I found myself and what I wanted to do with my life. I’ve been in and out of it. I was raising my son, so I was out of it for about 15-20 years, but you know, it’s never too late to go back. That’s my passion for it. I’m thrilled to still be doing it.

DP: So, you believe Suddenly Last Summer will be a challenging production for you?

AR: Yes. I think it’s going to be a challenging production for all of us. I applaud Andy for doing this. It’s not like other Tennessee Williams’ plays only because of the story that it tells. The story is so shocking and Tennessee Williams himself even says, “I wrote it because of my repulsion at the way people use each other in the name of love.” It’s not a pretty play, yet it’s impactful and I am excited to do it. We are always a little nervous about taking on a role as formidable as Violet Venable, but I look forward to it. I can’t wait to get into rehearsal and really get going.

DP: What do you hope to take away from this experience?

AR: I’ll just be pleased if I can do it and do it well enough to serve the play, my fellow actors, and Tennessee Williams’ words. I hope to make the character believable. I think that’s what every actor wants, to be genuine and honest and bring all this passion that this woman has in her life and for her son and his work. I hope that comes across successfully.

DP: What are some of your interests outside of theatre?

AR: I love gardening. I am getting good at orchids, and they have kind of become my passion. I also love to exercise, I love going to the theatre, I love singing. At this point in my life, it is just wonderful to still be able to do theatre and have very good friends in the theatre. I also, of course, love Netflix. I love a good binge watching on a weekend. Doing theatre at night, I miss a lot of TV.

DP: Do you have anything lined up after Suddenly Last Summer?

AR: I do, but I am not at liberty to say much just yet. And there’s another project, but the ink on the paper hasn’t dried yet. I’m a little superstitious until I know that it’s going to happen. I also have my one woman show that I am trying to get produced. It’s called Tightrope and it’s somewhat autobiographical, but I call it a play with music. It’s called Tightrope because that to me is what life is all about.