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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Iron Mike loses his rifle ... again Commissioner's race: Ankerberg touts financial expertise Commissioner's race: Moro lauds energy efficiency jobs Commissioner's race: Dyer wants to attract high-tech jobs Applegate Dam hydroelectric project dead in water Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Iron Mike loses his rifle ... again Emergency services Ashland's Iron Mike statue has its gun stolen Hoppe and Peterson at it again in Jackson County judge's race Motorcycle crash southwest of Grants Pass kills one Politics and Elections Commissioner's race: Ankerberg touts financial expertise Commissioner's race: Moro lauds energy efficiency jobs Commissioner's race: Dyer wants to attract high-tech jobs Hoppe and Peterson at it again in Jackson County judge's race Oregon gubernatorial candidates debate in Medford Education Foundation kicks off ambitious 'Count Me In' fundraising campaign 100 hours and counting SOU students protest university's free-speech zone Boys & Girls Clubs bursting at the seams Phoenix High School restores homecoming parade Environment Applegate Dam hydroelectric project dead in water Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Josephine County ballot measure would ban commercial and government pesticide use Low water exposes Emigrant Lake's past Wagner Creek work would restore streambank State news Nation - World Obituaries Alvin Simmons Death Notices James Waldo Littlefield Francis Bagley Cecile (DeLozier) Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Ashland defeats Marist in OT in boys soccer Frosh Schaan ignites Cascade Christian Panthers rumble past Axemen Springfield trips Ashland in battle of powers Junior Steelheads down Spartans Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders record sixth straight win Will Petersen have same magic against Ducks? 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Oregon gubernatorial candidates debate in Medford ... Elk season starts damp but not snowy ... Ashland's Iron Mike statue has its gun stolen ... Oregon gubernatorial candidates debate in Medford ... Elk season starts damp but not snowy ... ACT show captures Tennessee Williams' relationship with agent Audrey Wood Ashland Contemporary Theatre's quietly rich production of "Mr. Williams and Miss Wood" offers a poignant backstage view of playwright Tennessee Williams. The two-character, two-act play by Max Wilk chronicles the close, yet often strained, 30-year relationship between Williams and his agent and friend Audrey Wood. By Angela Decker MailTribune.com By Angela Decker Posted Jun. 24, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Jul 1, 2014 at 10:39 AM By Angela Decker Posted Jun. 24, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Jul 1, 2014 at 10:39 AM » Social News Ashland Contemporary Theatre's quietly rich production of "Mr. Williams and Miss Wood" offers a poignant backstage view of playwright Tennessee Williams. The two-character, two-act play by Max Wilk chronicles the close, yet often strained, 30-year relationship between Williams and his agent and friend Audrey Wood. Alexei Menedes plays Williams, Vanessa Hopkins plays Wood, and Jeannine Grizzard directs this thoughtful and lovely play. It tells the story of how Wood mentored Williams' genius into theatrical success, then stuck with him through his ups and downs. Williams' personal story unfolds through letters, soliloquies and direct dialogue between the actors. We learn his lifetime assessment of the tough but kind-hearted Wood who introduced him to the American theater. Theirs is a fascinating and at times heartbreaking story of friendship, fame and loyalty that offers rare insight into Williams. It was Wood who discovered Williams and nurtured his career and craft. She was a well-regarded literary agent, who represented theatrical talents such as Carson McCullers, William Inge and Arthur Kopit. Decades of success, Pulitzer Prizes for "A Street Car Named Desire" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and star-studded movies fail to make the mercurial Williams happy, and his failures prove overwhelming. Toward the end, his depression and drug and alcohol abuse not only affect his writing, but also lead to a falling out between him and Wood. Hopkins and Menedes are strong actors whose chemistry and clever banter give the audience a sense of being in intimate company with these Broadway legends. Menedes is a charming and passionate Williams, who at first is enthusiastic and sunny. Gradually, and with surprising subtlety, his smile fades as his character succumbs to despair and addiction. By the end, he slurs and shuffles, ripping into his friend with the same sharp wit that made him famous. Hopkins is spot on as the doyenne of theatrical agents, stylish and confident. She perfectly balances professionalism with a fiercely maternal attitude toward Williams. From time to time, Hopkins must briefly represent unseen characters, and slips into their voices so easily that the audience feels their presence. The small, yet well-appointed set is made up of little more than a park bench, two desks and a pair of coat racks. Yet it serves believably as Wood's office, Williams' various residences, theater seats and iconic locations in New York. The simplicity of the set, constructed by Archie Koenig, is perfectly scaled to the small venue. It both frames the story and evokes nostalgia as the characters dial rotary telephones, exchange telegrams and tap away at manual typewriters. Black-and-white images of various New York locations and the original playbills for Williams' plays flash on a screen at the back of the set. Since the set does not change, it is these images and Karen Douglas' smart vintage costumes that carry us forward in time over the span of 30 years. The show is a special treat for theater history buffs, as the characters drop famous names of the era, such as Marlon Brando and Lana Turner, and offer insider tidbits and gossip. From start to finish, the show is smooth and elegant. Wilk's well-crafted script and Grizzard's tight pacing keep the story moving and the audience engaged. "Mr. Williams and Miss Wood" is arguably one of ACT's finest productions to date. Upcoming performances of "Mr. Williams and Miss Wood" will be at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 26-27 (the June 27 show will be presented at Grizzly Peak Winery, 1600 E. Nevada St., Ashland); and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at the Ashland Community Center, 59 Winburn Way. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at www.AshlandContemporaryTheatre.org, Paddington Station in Ashland, Grocery Outlet in Medford, or by calling 541-646-2971. Angela Decker is a freelance writer in Ashland and can be reached at [email protected]. By Angela Decker MailTribune.com By Angela Decker Posted Jun. 24, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Jul 1, 2014 at 10:39 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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