Who Is Tennessee Williams? According to The American Masters (1999) website Tennessee Williams was born as Lanier Williams from Columbus, Mississippi on an undisclosed date in the year 1911. A happy and carefree young man, he was born to a shoe company executive and Southern belle in a highly loving and secure environment. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri later on, causing the young man to grow inward and write because he felt a lack of satisfaction in life (The American Masters). He was considered to be one of the best and brightest playwrights of his generation, producing such unforgettable plays like a Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, and The Rose Tattoo. His huge popularity stemmed from his risk taking in the stories that he wrote and controversial use of explosive dialogues and topics like infidelity, impotence, alcoholism, and unhappy marriages. In fact, critics were his stage plays were “… simultaneously praised and denounced for addressing raw subject matter in a straightforward realistic way. ” (The American Masters). Just like all highly prolific writers, he was a troubled soul who turned to alcohol and drugs in order to try and find a sense of purpose in his life. He died in a New York City hotel in 1973, surrounded by half open bottles of hard drinks and bottles of pills. (The American Masters). The Rose Tattoo – The Stage Play Tennessee Williams wrote and informally staged The Rose Tattoo in 1950’s Chicago. The New York Broadway premiere took place the next year to critical and audience acclaim. Considered to be the least emotionally drenching of his stage plays, it is believed that Mr. Williams dedicated this particular play to his sister Rose and Frank Merlo. (eNotes: The Rose Tattoo). The original stage play cast Maureen Stapleton and Elli Wallach in the roles of Serafina Delle Rose and Alvaro Mangiacavallio respectively. (IBDB: The Official Source For Broadway Information) The central character of the play is Serafina Delle Rose. A woman of boastful pride whose life is turned upside down by the death of her husband Rosario. Rosario is killed by police while committing the crime of smuggling. Serafina who is pregnant at the time miscarries their second child and is left only with her daughter Rosario. As Serafina heads into a downward spiral over the years, she tries her best to manipulate her daughters life into becoming similar to hers. But Rosario manages to escape her clutches and she learns that her husband was unfaithful to her during his lifetime. The main point of the story is the importance of and the lessons that can be taken from having humility in ones life. As a mixed genre play, it borrows elements from ancient Greek tragedies, Greco-Roman celebrations, and comedic elements (eNotes: The Rose Tattoo). The Broadway play opened at the Martin Beck Theater on February 3, 1951 and closed on October 27, 1951 after 306 performances (IBDB: The Official Source For Broadway Information). Maureen Stapleton who was born on June 21, 1925, actually took over the role of Serafina from Anna Magnani, the original choice of Tennessee Williams for the role, because Ms. Magnani did not have a good grasp of the English language and ref