'Streetcar' Shines, Revamped and Relevant

By Jungmin Lee Contributing Writer

Written by Tennessee Williams in 1947 and set in the same time period, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Streetcar Named Desire has solidified its reputation as an American classic. In fact, its longstanding relevance was showcased by an Emory student theater rendition which opened Friday, Oct. 17 at the Black Box Theater in the Burlington Road Building, and will run through next Saturday, Oct. 25. Presented by the Dooley Players, Emory's student-run, non-musical theater organization (also the newly birthed combo of former groups AHANA and Starving Artists Productions), the show was an outstanding directorial debut for College juniors Zana Pouncey and Angad Dev Singh.

In a Directors' Note featured in the program, Pouncey hinted at the intense storyline the audience was in for. She stated, "[Tennessee] Williams boldly allows his characters to wrestle through heavy topics that brashly confront genuine issues in society." Singh also wrote, "I hope audience members experience the thriving, exuberant atmosphere of New Orleans and connect with the carefully crafted characters that Williams' has created."

Both directors emphasized that many societal themes explored in the original text, such as vanity, class and even homophobia, are still prevalent; therefore the late 1940s setting would not be a hindrance for the audience.

Admittedly, I had some skepticism about the production's ability to capture the nuanced excellence of its many predecessors, especially the Academy Award-winning 1951 film adaptation. But all my doubts dissipated as soon as our protagonist Blanche Du Bois (College sophomore Carys Meyer), stepped onstage, looking and sounding like ever the southern belle. Clutching tightly onto her belongings, she frantically scanned her unfamiliar urban surroundings of New Orleans for dear younger sister Stella Kowalski (College senior Ali Reubenstone). The audience watched silently, enraptured by Blanche's breathy drawl, a voice distinctly sprinkled with a sophistication that seemed out of place in Stella's simple home. It became clear that this unglamorous living space was a far cry from where the two grew up, a family plantation called Belle Reve (aptly translated to "beautiful dream" in English). Even more startling to Blanche than her sister's unimpressive taste in lifestyle, was her horrific choice in a husband – enter Stanley Kowalski (College freshman John Beck), aka her worst nightmare.

The chemistry between Stanley and Blanche buzzed from the moment they met – and not in a good way. He, a brutish Polish-American - or in Blanche's words, a "Polack" – was a Master Sergeant in the war with a no-BS attitude whose explosive anger often led to instances of domestic abuse in his passionate relationship with Stella. She, a sensitive and complicated woman with a habit of lying to tell things as they "ought" to be instead of the grittier truth, was obsessed with beauty, appearances and high-class matters. In his first acting role at Emory, Beck walked, talked and breathed masculinity as Stanley, eliciting a few chuckles with his blunt attitude and caustic humor, as well as a couple gasps from the audience with his hellish exhibitions of violence. I was particularly impressed when he powered through a scene without so much of a flinch, after accidentally cutting his finger on a prop that literally left him bleeding onto the set. Similar to her co-star, Meyer also gave a compelling performance, demonstrating a special dichotomy in her character, one that simultaneously sparked my sympathy and frustration.

Interactions between these opposite personalities led to an increasingly hysterical Blanche and positioned Stella in the middle of an interesting near-love triangle. Throughout the play, Stella found herself torn between these two loyalties. Although she consistently defended her big sister, Stella's devotion to Stanley kept her at a small but unmistakable distance from Blanche. Here, Reubenstone deserves special credit for depicting this tug-of-war relationship so believably. As the most emotionally stable individual of the trio, she was also the most relatable to me, because the audience itself shared her struggle to identify a clear villain and victim. A testament to Williams' writing, Blanche and Stanley were not one-dimensional figures who could easily be categorized into either camp. For Stella, her allegiances were complicated by an overwhelming attraction to her husband which was so magnetic that it made zero sense to her dismayed sister and perhaps to the audience, too.

The challenge these three faced, to bear with one another in the confines of only two rooms barely separated by a curtain, filled the show to the brim with intense dramatics. Thankfully, the whole play wasn't all tears and screams. Moments of beauty glimmered with hope and sometimes with a quiet sadness; we saw one such instance in the beginning stages of Blanche's budding romance with a friend of Stanley named Mitch (Goizueta Business School senior Mike Filer). In the gentlemanly and soft-spoken Mitch, she saw a potentially happy future, one where she would finally be at peace with a good man by her side. In addition to these romantic scenes, there was a surprising dose of humor interspersed between the lines in several bits. The audience laughed at many of Blanche's over-the-top antics, amused at the lengths she would go to keep up appearances or seduce every man she came in contact with - even a collector boy, played humorously by College freshman Devon Gould. Much like Blanche's unpredictable roller coaster of emotions, everyone in the black box seats experienced a spectrum of feelings watching these stellar performances. One minute, our jaws would be dropped in shock at yet another one of Stanley's outbursts and the next, we would be smiling and giggling away at Blanche's flirting.

Unlike the tumultuous relationships featured on stage, Meyer noted in an interview with the Wheel that the cast and crew created a collaborative environment during rehearsals: "The cast worked well together ... The directors also did an awesome job. They had a vision for the show, but also let us experiment with our characters," she said.

Thanks to this smooth pre-production process, each actor had the chance to shine onstage, including supporting roles who lent a seamless hand to the story and proved that one's quantity of lines really had no bearing on one's quality of performance.

As for the directors, their clear vision proved successful in the skilled staging and technical features of sound and lighting, both of which helped set the ambiance of the play without distracting from the central plot.

The thundering applause as the entire cast of "A Streetcar Named Desire" took a bow was well-deserved, to say the least. I give the performance a solid five out of five stars. Co-director Singh had written in the program, "This is a play that takes my breath away each time I read or view it, and I hope it does the same for you."

I can say for myself and no doubt, many others who witnessed Friday's opening night: mission accomplished.

Editor's note: This production contains depictions of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Counseling and support services remain available to the Emory community. Students may reach the Counseling and Psychological Services Center by calling 404.727.7450 or the Office of Religious Life at 404.727.6225. Faculty and staff may reach the Faculty Staff Assistance Program at 404.727.4328.

– Contact Jungmin Lee at jungmin.lee@emory.edu

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