Both of these intentions permeate The Villagers Theater production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" now running through September 28 in Somerset, NJ. According to show producer Howard Gross, "Streetcar is a masterpiece of American theatre and we wanted to revive this classic for our audience. While the story takes place in the 1940s, we believe that the themes are just as relevant today and they are presented in such a disturbing way."
Stories such as the recent Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal and on-going violence against LGBT community only underscore that while we may feel removed from events in the 1940s they are still with us today. Director Judy Parrish echoes her producers sentiments when she adds, "When we first started the rehearsal process, I honestly didn't think about a specific relevance to today. But with the recent news cycle revolving around the NFL and domestic abuse, we do see a parallel to current events. And it raises an important question…why do people stay in abusive relationships? The answer is never easy or simple, as we see in both the play and in real life. And the fact we are still have this type of discussion, nearly 70 years after this play premiered, shows a relevancy to today. Interestingly, as damaged and broken as Blanche is, I truly think she would not stay in a physically abusive relationship."
The story of the play is a study in flawed people that perhaps lends itself to its longevity on the stage. The story begins when Blanche DuBois (Ariana Elizabeth Fort), a troubled but still attractive Southern belle, shows up to the home of younger sister Stella (Morgan O'Neill Petronis) and her manipulative and physically imposing husband Stanley Kowalski (Brian Remo) in the blue collar Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans. Blanche clings to her the southern customs of decorum of her and Stella's upbringing at their ancestral Southern plantation, Belle Reve in Laurel, Mississippi while her sister appears to have long left her past behind.
Blanche's pretensions to virtue and sophistication mask her alcoholism and the real reason that she has sought refuge in her sister's humble home. Blanche has been fired from her teaching position for having an affair with a 17-year old student. This, however, turns out to be the tip of her iceberg as she is also the widow of a marriage to a gay man who was killed for his homosexuality. This double bill of tragedy and poor decisions has lead Blanche into a semi-delusional world that often blends with her bleak present. Director Judy Parrish adds, "She has lived through and survived so many emotionally debilitating events that we keep thinking she'll make it through the events that befall her during her time in New Orleans. Each of the events in her life brought her to where she is at the end of the play. She is both victim and contributor to her own demise."
In contrast, her sister Stella is servile to her physically and verbally abusive husband Stanley but enjoys the sexual fire of their relationship. "Stella is often portrayed as simply a weak willed, battered wife. We have tried to show her inner strength, even if it's misguided. She enjoys and even revels in the passion of her relationship with Stanley. He is different than the kind of men she knew growing up at Belle Reve. And she likes that he's different. As she tells Blanche, she's not in anything she wants to get out of. I think there may also be an element of what we now know as "Stockholm Syndrome." She defends Stanley, loves him and makes the difficult decision of choosing him over her sister", Parrish said.
While on the surface it would seem logical to simply Stella leave Stanley, which she does in the play, its often short lived. This leads to one of the more famous solo scenes in cinema, the Marlon Brando street pleading primal yell of "STELLLAA!!!" in the film version of the play. The implication being that while these relationships appear to have a simple solution they are often extremely complex. Just as the character of Stanley himself, who on the surface appears just to be a brute but in actuality is an intelligent manipulator. "We have tried to portray Stanley more as a calculating predator. He's more of a lion or tiger circling and stalking his prey than the "ape like" man Blanche describes him as being. That's the difference in view point we've tried to portray. Blanche sees him as just raw and animalistic, but hopefully the audience sees him with some degree of cunning," adds Parrish.
The play, like their characters, has several layers that brings a different perspective each time its viewed and will continues to resonate with audiences. Parrish said, "Audiences often come with preconceived ideas about shows they know well. And for ‘Streetcar' that is no exception. We also had the challenge of fighting the image of the iconic movie version that starred Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. We have tried to find some new and fresh takes for each of the characters, while staying true to the heart of the story given to us by Tennessee Williams."
The Villagers Theatre, 475 Demott Lane, Somerset, NJ
Remaining shows:
Fridays and Saturdays September 19, 20, 26 & 27 @ 8pm
Sundays, 21 & 28 @ 2pm
Tickets: Reserved seating - $18 Adult, $16 Seniors/Students, Group rates available upon request. Tickets online at http://www.villagerstheatre.com/tickets/buy/ or call 732-873-2710
Leading the cast as the tragic "Blanche DuBois" is Ariana Elizabeth Fort. Brian Remo is the earthy and passionate Stanley Kowalski, with Morgan O'Neill Petronis, as his long suffering wife, Stella. Rounding out the cast is Peter Bisgaier as Mitch, Blanche's love interest; Joe Buz and Ashley Widmer as the upstairs neighbors, Steve and Eunice Hubbell; Jaime Castro as Pablo Gonzales; Diane Parker as a neighbor and flower seller; Ross Pohling as the young collector; Scott Karlin as the doctor and Emily Russoniello as the Nurse.
The production is being directed and designed by Judi Parrish. Howard Gross and Emily Russoniello are the producers; Kayla Abbatiello is the stage manager; Dominick Abbatiello is the lighting designer and Crystal Coddington is the props designer.
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