James Franco - James Franco Holding Seance

James Franco Holding Seance

James Franco is planning to contact dead playwright Tennessee Williams through an Ouija board.

The '127 Hours' actor will try and connect with the spirit of the 'A Streetcar Named Desire' writer, who died in 1983, as part of a piece of performance art in New York on Sunday (13.11.11).

James will use the Ouija board – decorated with numbers and letters and traditionally used to contact the dead - alongside artist Laurel Nakadate in the city's Elysee Hotel, in the room in which Tennessee died.

When asked why he chose the playwright as the subject of the piece – entitled 'Three Performances in Search of Tennessee' - James told New York magazine: "Tennessee is a wonderful Example of someone who's taken their own experiences and transformed them into art

"When I create work solely from myself I get bored with it, I don't work as hard, I don't give my ideas as much patience or respect.

"Using other people's work as a source pulls me out of myself."

For the second and third parts of the work, James and Laurel will hold open auditions for Williams' play 'The Glass Menagerie', one to find the female part of Laura, and one to find the male part of Tom.

Any passing member of the public will be able to step up to the microphone and audition, but James and Laurel will intervene as 'Directors'.