We’ve got your weekend: The city that never wants to sleep

(photo courtesy of: Mexican Cultural Institute of New Orleans)

Wednesday, March 21-25/The French Quarter: It is back! STELLA! The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival returns to the historic French Quarter for its 32^nd annual celebration of contemporary literature, culture, theater, and the works of Tennessee Williams. From March 21-25, you can will enjoy celebrated award-winning speakers alongside fresh new voices on the literary scene, and don’t forget about that STELLA! screaming contest. There are so many events, we can’t fit them all here, so check out the website for full details and ticketing.

Wednesday, March 21/St. Louis Cathedral (615 Pere Antoine Alley): Sigh…we love free concerts, and The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will once again present a free concert in St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter on Wednesday, March 21. Entitled “Music of the City,” the concert is the 12th installment of Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage, a popular series examining different aspects of the state’s contributions to classical music. Selections for the 2018 concert celebrate New Orleans’s 300^th anniversary and highlight the diverse influences that compose the city’s extensive music legacy. Doors open at 7:00 PM with the concert beginning at 7:30 PM.

Wednesday, March 21-April 1/Marquette Theatre, Loyola University (6363 St. Charles Avenue): We love when theaters are brilliant and connect festivals and writers and plays and performances. In other words, thank you Southern Rep Theater. You may be asking, what exactly is Southern Rep Theater doing? Well, they are putting on A Tennessee Williams double bill– a pair of short plays offered in conjunction with the Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival. Which plays? Glad you asked. And Tell Sad Story of the Death of Queens, posthumously published, is paired with The Two-Character Play, one of Williams’ late works. The shows begin at 7:30 PM. For summaries on the plays as well as ticket purchasing, check out their website here.

Thursday, March 22/The Mexican Cultural Institution (901 Convention Center Boulevard): The Mexican Cultural Institute in New Orleans and the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the Arts Council of New Orleans and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies of Tulane University are presenting the exhibition of Mexican-American artist Belinda Flores-Shinshillas. The exhibit marks the opening program for The Mexican Cultural Institute of the Consulate of Mexico. The Opening reception of Decoding the Purity of an Icon will be held on Thursday, March 22, 2018, at the Mexican Cultural Institute in New Orleans from 6:00 to 9:00 pm The exhibition will be on view through May 14, 2018. The all begins at 6:00 PM, and you can get full details here.

Friday, March 23/Madame John’s Legacy (632 Dumaine Street): Are you feeling a bit out of touch with history? Don’t worry because you can intertwine, intermingle, and entertain (you see what we did there) all your history desires with the new production being put on. The Louisiana State Museum (LSM), Friends of the Cabildo (FOC), and Goat in the Road Productions (GRP) are putting on The Stranger Disease: an immersive, original, historically inspired performance taking place at one of LSM’s French Quarter properties: Madame John’s Legacy, located at 632 Dumaine St. During the show, audience members will be able to freely explore the historic property, following the characters and story lines they choose. An accompanying exhibit, free and open to the public during the weekdays, will highlight LSM’s collection and the rich history of Madame Johns’ Legacy. Choose your historical path wisely, our friends. For tickets ($25) and details, check out the website here.

Friday, March 23/Marigny Opera House (725 St Ferdinand Street): On the heels of their award for Best New Classical Music Performance, local composer Tucker Fuller and The New Resonance Orchestra led by Francis Scully will be performing the encore production of Giselle Deslondes. Set in the Faubourg Marigny in 1930, Giselle Deslondes is a heart-breaking story of betrayal, madness and redemption. This two-act ballet will begin at 8:00 PM, the tickets range from $25 to $40 and can be purchased here.

Friday, March 23/The Frenchmen Hotel (417 Frenchmen Street): Back by popular demand, Intramural Theater will re-mount their site-specific production of Cowboy Mouth, a one-act play by Sam Shepard and Patti Smith. You can join the actors as they travel back to 1971 and step inside the room at the Chelsea Hotel, where Cavale (Grace Kennedy) and Slim (Howe Pearson) have been holed up with a drum kit, a dead crow and their dreams for far too long. The show begins at 5:00 PM, tickets will cost you $15-$20, and you can reserve your ticket by emailing: intramural.theater@gmail.com.

Saturday, March 24/The Wilkinson-Bruno Home (1015 S. Carrollton Avenue): Have you been good? Have you been evil? Have you been in a garden? Yes, these questions all relate to each other, just as the New Orleans Film Society, who will be putting on their 2018 gala this Saturday. Set in the lush, cinematic gardens of a private home built in 1849, there will be gourmet dishes, craft cocktails, and unforgettable entertainment to support independent cinema in New Orleans. There is music by Helen Gillet, an auction, oysters, and more. To reserve your ticket, seat, or table, check out the the NOFS website here.