by Greg Evans
First Published by Deadline on July 8, 2025
International Literary Properties’ theatrical division (ILP) has entered into a strategic partnership with The University of the South for ILP to assume an active management role and co-stewardship of the works of celebrated A Streetcar Named Desire playwright Tennessee Williams.
The agreement includes not only stage productions, but also future film and television, and other cross-media projects.
The University, sometimes referred to as Sewanee, was gifted the collection by Williams in his will, to honor his grandfather Walter E. Dakin who attended the University’s School of Theology. The University has been responsible for managing the estate since 1996 and in a statement says it “looks forward to this next, exciting phase in expanding the promotion, knowledge, and appreciation of the playwright’s extensive catalog of plays and literature.”
In its new role in managing the Williams copyrights, ILP will continue to work closely with existing key partners, including the properties’ key representatives and publishers, and especially with Casarotto Ramsay & Associates in London on all first-class stage opportunities, television and film projects, and several imprints at Concord Theatricals for stock and amateur licensing.
“We are thrilled to work closely with The University of the South on this collection from one of the greatest American playwrights, Tennessee Williams,” said Thomas B. McGrath, Chairman of ILP Theatrical. “We look forward to celebrating and expanding these works’ influence on the theatrical and entertainment landscape across the globe.”
ILP Theatrical CEO Michael Barra said, “It is an honor to join with our esteemed colleagues at The University of the South to help steward the master works of Tennessee Williams, and to bring them to new generations of theater fans across all media and markets.”
“The University’s partnership with ILP marks an important next chapter in Sewanee’s stewardship of the Tennessee Williams estate and promotion of the playwright’s extraordinary legacy,” says The University of the South Vice-Chancellor and President Rob Pearigen. “Our rich tradition in literature and letters with programs across the University, including the Sewanee Review, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Young Writers’ Conference, the School of Letters, the Tennessee Williams Center, and the College’s Theatre, English, and Creative Writing departments will benefit from this new strategic relationship.”
The University of the South is a liberal arts college and Episcopal seminary located on a 13,000-acre campus atop the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Founded in 1857 and governed by 28 Episcopal dioceses, the University comprises a nationally recognized College of Arts and Sciences, a distinguished School of Theology, and a School of Letters offering a master’s degree in creative writing.
Williams is widely regarded as one of the foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. Over the course of his career, Williams authored 39 plays, 11 screenplays, two novels, numerous short stories, and more than 70 one-act plays. He received, among other honors, two Pulitzer Prizes (A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and a Tony Award (The Rose Tattoo). Many of his most notable plays have been adapted into acclaimed films.
International Literary Properties is a global company that invests in, acquires, manages, and enhances literary and theatrical estates. Its theatrical division is led by CEO Michael Barra and Chairman Thomas B. McGrath. With a team based across New York, London, Los Angeles and Austin, ILP works closely with book authors, playwrights, lyricists and composers, along with their representatives, heirs and estate managers to protect legacies and bring classic works to new international audiences. Since its founding in 2020, ILP has built a diverse portfolio of creators including Somerset Maugham, Langston Hughes, Alfred Uhry, Damon Runyon, Robert Bolt, Ann Rule, Georges Simenon, James M. Cain, Joseph Kesselring, Cornell Woolrich, Eric Ambler, Ngaio Marsh, and Ellen Raskin, among many others. ILP partners with leading creatives and media producers to develop new opportunities and adaptations across publishing, television, film, theater, and consumer products.
