Glenview in Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Tennessee Williams’ First Play

Untitled Tennessee Williams Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Steve Masler, August 19, 2015

1. Untitled Tennessee Williams Marker

Inscription. On the evening of July 12, 1935, in the garden behind this house, the Garden Players under the direction of Arthur Scharff performed Tennessee Williams’ first staged play “Cairo, Shanghai, Bombay.” Bernice D. Shapiro was listed as co-author, and Alice G. Rosebrough of this address was the player's patroness. Members of the cast were: George Madlinger, L. Rosebrough, Mrs. H. Hastings, Baby Mary Lou Hurt, Catherine Gibson, Mary Beth Clower, Dorothy Wilson, Arthur Scharff, Fred Faehrman, Harriet Loop, Harvey Pierce, Raymond Hurt and Hubert Hastings.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is July 12, 1835.

Location. 35° 6.634′ N, 90° 0.17′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Glenview. Marker is on Glenview Avenue just east of Oaklawn Street, on the right. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1780 Glenview Avenue, Memphis TN 38114, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Memphis 13/Rozelle Elementary School (approx. 0.6 miles away); Thomas Moss ~ Calvin McDowell ~ William Henry Stewart (approx. 0.6 miles away); Zion Cemetery (approx. 0.7 miles away); Chew C. Sawyer (approx. 0.7 miles away); Johnny Cash's First Performance / Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two

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(approx. 0.8 miles away); Johnny Cash (approx. 0.8 miles away); G. P. Hamilton (approx. 0.9 miles away); John B. Weatherall (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.

Also see . . . Tennessee Williams - Wikipedia. (Submitted on August 21, 2015, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)

Additional commentary.
1. Arthur Scharff, Director of Tennessee Williams first produced play
Arthur Scharff was the son of Abe Scharff who owned a dry cleaning business in Memphis in the 1930s. Arthur preformed in many Memphis productions of the time. His father, Abe Scharff was a world traveler and wrote at least one book entitled "Peruvian Rambles." during one of trips to the Amazon, he collected a human shrunken head. That head is now on display at the Memphis Pink Palace Museum.

— Submitted August 20, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.

Additional keywords.

Photographed By Steve Masler, August 19, 2015

2. Untitled Tennessee Williams Marker

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1935 home of Alice G. Rosebrough, where the first produced play of Tennessee Williams was performed image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Steve Masler, August 19, 2015

3. 1935 home of Alice G. Rosebrough, where the first produced play of Tennessee Williams was performed

Tennessee Williams in 1953 image. Click for full size.

World Telegram & Sun photo by Walter Albertin in the Library of Congress Collection

4. Tennessee Williams in 1953

(This photograph is in the public domain per the Instrument of Gift to the Library of Congress.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,033 times since then and 58 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week July 11, 2021. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 20, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. 4. submitted on July 2, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.