CLARKSDALE – A look at what’s new at the Williams Festival in Clarksdale this year includes a whole lotta live drama.

From Broadway stars to high school students from nine schools competing in acting competition, stages across town will be blazing with talented actors and would-be Stanley Kowalskis screaming “Stella.”

Starring at Oakhurst Middle School’s finale presentation Friday, Oct. 16, will be Tony Award-winning actress Tammy Grimes and Joel Vig performing scenes from “Portrait of a Madonna.”

Clarksdale architect and veteran Community Theatre veteran actor Richard Dickson will be joining them on stage with ambiance furnished from blues guitarist Daddy Rich.

Earlier Johnny McPhail of Oxford, who starred in the 2008 Sundance Film Fest winner “Ballast,” will portray Tennessee Williams’ traveling salesman in “The Last of My Solid Gold Watches” set in Clarksdale’s Alcazar Hotel.

Pensacola actor/director/musician Jeff Glickman will become Jake from “27 Wagons Full of Cotton,” and Erma Duricko and Tim Brown from NYC will perform scenes from “Summer and Smoke.”

Earlier in the day at Coahoma Community College’s Whiteside Hall, the trio will change faces as Heavenly Crutchfield, Arthur, and Richard from “Spring Storm,” an early Williams play the playwright unfolds in Clarksdale and Friars Point.

Thanks to grants from CCC, the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Rock River Foundation, and local donors, admission is free and open to all..

Live drama continues Saturday afternoon with four porch plays in the historic district interspersed with an organ concert at St. George’s Episcopal Church and open houses at the Clarksdale Woman’s Club and the Cutrer Mansion.

At Clarksdale Station, winning entries from the acting competition will be presented following a barbecue supper, and closing with music and dancing to a local blues band.

More than 100 students across Mississippi are competing at CCC’s Georgia Lewis Theatre Saturday morning for $2,500 in cash prize for their school drama departments and trophies for themselves.

Participating are Hernando High School, Power APAC of Jackson, Oak Grove High School of Hattiesburg, Clarksdale High, Coahoma Agricultural High School, Coahoma County Junior and Senior High Schools, Northwest Rankin of Brandon, and Lafayette High of Oxford. Tupelo High entered but cancelled this week.

Schools are limited to five monologue (2-minute limit) entries and one scene entry (10-minute limit) – all taken from Tennessee Williams plays. In a popular, separate category, each school enters a male and female “Stella-calling” entry

A review of entries, indicates numerous favorite characters to be portrayed: Blanche, Tom, Alma, Maggie, Big Daddy, but also some lesser-known figures: Serafina from “The Rose Tattoo,” Jim from “The Glass Menagerie,” Mrs. Venable from “Suddenly Last Summer,” Heavenly from “Spring Storm,”and Trinket from “The Mutilated.”

Scenes being presented are taken from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow,” “The Lady of Larkspur Lotion,” “Summer and Smoke,” “The Glass Menagerie,” and “The Case of the Crushed Petunias.”

What’s new at the festival in the culinary department includes a seated Friday lunch at CCC’s Gallery scheduled during a break in the literary conference and prepared by Chef Robert Rhymes and his students. The meal includes a hot entrée, salad, dessert, and beverage.

The culinary group returns with flair Friday evening for the gourmet buffet at The Clark House. On Saturday, dessert and coffee are served at the Cutrer Mansion at

1 p.m., and the barbecue supper at Clarksdale Station is at 5 p.m.

Reservations are required for meals, and can be booked through CCC’s Public Relations office – 662-621-4157 or by mailing the reservation form downloaded from the festival’s website: www.coahomacc.edu/twilliams.