VISIONS OF BEATITUDE

A Historical Two-Character Play by Joseph M. Paprzycki

Visions of Beatitude transports audiences to the legendary Atlantic House in Provincetown, Massachusetts, at 4 a.m., where the ghosts of two titans of American theatre—Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill—meet in an extraordinary encounter. When summoned by a saint, these legendary playwrights are challenged to write about each other to find redemption.

Set in the mythical past within Provincetown's most iconic bar, this compelling drama explores the creative genius, personal demons, and artistic legacies of two of America's greatest dramatists. Through sharp dialogue and theatrical magic, Visions of Beatitude reveals what happens when literary giants confront their own mortality and search for salvation through the written word.

Play Details

• Type: Two-character historical drama

• Setting: Atlantic House, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 4 a.m.

• Characters: Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill (as ghosts)

• Themes: Redemption, artistic legacy, creative genius, mortality

• Length: Full-length play

• Genre: Historical drama, theatrical fantasy

Synopsis

In a mythical encounter beyond the veil, two legends of American theatre find themselves in the closed Atlantic House bar in Provincetown at 4 a.m. Tennessee Williams, the poetic chronicler of desire and desperation, meets Eugene O'Neill, the master of tragic American drama. Summoned by a saint and challenged to write about each other, these ghostly playwrights must confront their artistic choices, personal struggles, and the legacies they left behind.

Set in Provincetown—the historic Cape Cod town where both playwrights lived and worked—Visions of Beatitude explores the intersection of art and redemption. Through dialogue that crackles with theatrical insight and human vulnerability, the play asks: Can two artists find salvation by truly seeing each other?

Production History

Provincetown Theatre - Winter Play Dates Series (2019)

Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 7:00 p.m. Venue: Provincetown Theatre, Provincetown, Massachusetts Format: Free staged reading

The play returned to its spiritual home in Provincetown for a staged reading as part of Provincetown Theater's Winter Play Dates series, connecting the work directly to the legendary Cape Cod town that inspired it.

Truro Playwright Collective (2023)

Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023, 2:00 p.m. Venue: Truro Public Library, Truro, Massachusetts Format: Free staged reading Presented by: Truro Playwright Collective

The play was featured in the inaugural season of the Truro Playwright Collective, the theater ensemble founded and curated by Joseph M. Paprzycki.

The reading was performed by Spencer Keasey and Clyde Shelby Mellert.

The Provincetown Connection

Visions of Beatitude is deeply rooted in Provincetown's rich theatrical history. Both Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill lived and worked in this legendary Cape Cod artists' colony, where American theater was transformed in the early 20th century.

The Atlantic House, the play's setting, remains one of Provincetown's most iconic establishments—a historic bar where artists, writers, and performers have gathered for generations. By setting this supernatural encounter in the A-House at 4 a.m., Paprzycki creates an intimate, otherworldly space where two giants of American drama can meet outside of time.

Playwright Joseph M. Paprzycki, now a North Truro resident and founder of the Truro Playwright Collective, brings his deep connection to Cape Cod theater and his expertise in Tennessee Williams's work to this unique theatrical exploration.