Mar 24: 🔥 Hot Truth on the Tin Roof
Finding your authentic self with Tennessee Williams.
Mar 24: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened on Broadway, 1955
We are all of us born, live and die in the
shadow of a giant question mark that refers
to three questions: Where do we come from?
Why? And where, oh where, are we going!
—Tennessee Williams
Have you ever felt like you were going through the motions, pretending to be someone you're not? It could be at your job, putting on a brave face while your soul shrivels under fluorescent lights.
Or at family gatherings, deflecting Aunt Gladys’ prodding about your love life with the same old half-truths.
Maybe it's lying awake at 3 AM, feeling like life has no purpose or meaning, and wondering why you are here.
Tennessee Williams explores the devastating consequences of living a lie in his searing masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which opened today on Broadway 66 years ago (the same year Rosa Parks was arrested).
He rips the niceties away to reveal a reality we know too well—a wealthy family drenched in delusion, each member slick with deceptions. You know what I mean if you watched the TV series Succession about the Roy family.
At the center is Brick, a haunted former athlete who camouflages his pain in a bourbon haze. As his determined wife tries in vain to reignite his spirit, the rest of the clan orbits their own mendacities—grasping at financial security, reliving past glories, or escaping into imagined ideals.
Williams uses their chaos to mirror our own self-deceptions. Aren't we all like cats running across a hot tin roof, searching for a way to escape the uncomfortable truth of our own lives?
Tennessee Williams felt the same.
The Inner Quest of Tennessee Williams
Before writing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Williams underwent a period of spiritual searching and existential questioning, feeling empty and disconnected despite his great fame and success.
He recounts a life-changing experience on a balcony in Mexico in 1945 in his memoirs. Gazing at the stars, he felt a profound sense of cosmic vastness and insignificance.
Many astronauts have described a similar feeling while looking back at Earth from space. As Edgar Mitchell, the Apollo 14 astronaut, gazed at our blue-green planet floating in the darkness, he experienced a deep sense of interconnectedness and peace—a phenomenon now known as the "Overview Effect."
“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation,
an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion
to do something about it.” —Edgar Mitchell
But rather than finding comfort or solace in this idea, Williams was struck by a deep despair. He felt that humanity was trapped in an endless cycle of self-deception, chasing after material success and societal ideals while neglecting our inner truths.
This experience, along with his struggles with sexuality, truth, and substance abuse, deeply influenced the themes he explored in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof almost a decade later. Brick's drunken numbness and inability to find meaning reflects Williams' spiritual unrest during that period.
Broken Illusions
We lie to ourselves and others about who we truly are. We wear masks, play our roles, afraid to reveal our vulnerabilities. We strive for perfection and conformity, believing it will bring us acceptance and happiness.
In Williams' play, the characters are trapped in their own illusions. Brick hides behind alcoholism and his conflicted feelings towards his sexuality. Maggie puts on a facade of contentment in her marriage while secretly yearning for affection from her husband. Big Daddy pretends to be tough and invincible while hiding his fear of death.
They question each other and say, "Wouldn't it be funny if that was true?" desperately searching for a way to maintain their illusions. But you can't ignore the truth, and as it slowly unravels, it brings a sense of catharsis to the characters.
Brick finally confronts his alcoholism and admits his love for another man. Maggie finds solace in her strength instead of seeking validation from her husband, and Big Daddy learns to let go of his tough exterior and embrace his mortality.
Unfortunately, Williams didn't treat himself with the same compassion he showed his cast of characters. He lost the spiritual experience he had back in Mexico in a haze of chronic alcohol and prescription drugs, dying of an overdose in 1983 at the age of seventy-one.
However, his legacy endures, revealing a deserving person of love and empathy. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof resonates with audiences today because it speaks to the universal human experience of struggles and self-discovery. His characters remind us that facing our truths and embracing vulnerability can lead us to growth and healing.
Wouldn't it be funny if that was true?
🥣 This Week's Inspiration: Have a Bowl of Hoppin’ John
MARGARET. Big Daddy loves hoppin' John.
We had a real country dinner.
BIG MAMA. Yais, he simply adores it!
Hoppin' John is a classic Southern dish of black-eyed peas, rice, and spices that made an appearance in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
As Big Daddy struggles with the tensions and lies surrounding his family and deteriorating health, he longs for authenticity and simplicity.
During a heated conversation with Brick, he reminisces about his youth when life was less complicated. He mentions that he wants a meal of Hoppin' John, a dish made from black-eyed peas and rice.
Hoppin' John's ingredients also have cultural and historical significance. In Southern tradition, black-eyed peas represent prosperity and good luck, while rice is a staple food that sustains many families during difficult times.
Ingredients
1 cup of dried black-eyed peas (soaked overnight and drained)
1 cup of long-grain rice, cooked (serve on the side or mix in)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper, minced (adjust to your spice preference)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves (or dried thyme)
1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (adjust to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Cook the Black-Eyed Peas
Add the soaked black-eyed peas in a large pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the peas are tender (about 45 minutes to an hour).
Drain and set aside.
2. Sauté the Vegetables
In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Sauté the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and minced garlic until softened.
3. Add the Cooked Peas
Add the cooked black-eyed peas to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables.
Stir in the fresh thyme leaves and Cajun seasoning.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine with Rice
Mix in the cooked long-grain rice. Adjust the rice-to-peas ratio to your preference.
If the mixture seems dry, add a vegetable broth or water splash.
5. Serve and Garnish:
Serve Hoppin' John hot.
Garnish with sliced green onions.
🗣️ Reflections
Have you read or seen Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? What was your impression of the story and its characters? Did anything resonate with you?
🩷 Sending Love
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“The name of a person you love is more than language.” ― Tennessee Williams
