Kind Stranger… A Memory Play Based On Tennessee Williams’ Memoirs

Ed’s Filmworks has announced the West Coast premiere of Kind Stranger … a memory play will open for a short run at the Zephyr Theatre in January. Conceived and performed by Rick Simone-Friedland, the play was adapted and is directed by Steven Simone-Friedland.

Kind Stranger depicts the poignant journey of Tennessee Williams as the legendary playwright recounts his life, art, and love affairs. Witness his wit and unflinching honesty as he writes his last chapter, revealing how his plays were his life and his life was his plays. Adapted directly from his memoir and using only his words, Kind Stranger could be the last original Tennessee Williams play.

Steven and Rick Simone-Friedland, a gay married couple, both went into this project wanting to use the words and humor of one of the greatest American playwrights as the foundation of the play. Said Steven, “Tennessee Williams’ memoir tells us exactly what his take was on his plays, his art, and his life. You can’t do any better than that. His unflinchingly honest reflections show an artist who questioned his craft and I think that for any artist, that is a constant struggle. I find it strangely comforting to see someone as renowned as Mr. Williams struggle with those same uncertainties.” Added Rick, “I just wanted to find a way to play Blanche DuBois!”

“In its simplicity lay its greatest strength – a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful theater is simply one person, a story, and the courage to tell it honestly.” —Theater Beyond Broadway

Conceived and performed by

Rick Simone-Friedland (Concept & Performer) is an Emmy Award-winner known to television audiences for his work on Married People, Just the Ten of Us, A Year in the Life, Life Goes On, KC Undercover, and the Discovery series Mob Scene. Theatre audiences may know him from his roles in The Me Nobody Knows, Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens, and the Theatre West production of Moose on The Loose. He recently completely filming roles in How Do You Fall Out of Love with Country Music, Boystown, and Some Sorta Queer.

Directed by

Steven Simone-Friedland (Adaptation & Direction) is an independent, freelance filmmaker. Simone-Friedland has directed, written, produced, and edited several short film and television projects including [sic], Togetherness, and Sunday Cup of Coffee. He edited the feature documentaries The Yes Men Are Revolting and the feature film Donner Pass, as well as television pilots Group and Techno 3. He also serves as series editor on such Bravo shows as Real Housewives of Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Orange County, and Dubai, Vanderpump Rules, Below Deck, and Family Karma, MTV’s Siesta Key, and HBO’s Queen of Versailles Reigns Again. His LA theatre directing credits include Ourselves Alone, Oleanna, Betrayal, Scenes of an American Life, and Imagining Rachel, which received its world premiere at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

When, where, GO!

Performances will be at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Avenue, LA, 90046, on Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 5pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm & 7pm. For more information and tickets, go to Zephyr Theatre website.

*Special thanks to Ken Werther PR.