Just reading a scene from Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" is an experience in itself. His carefully crafted characters leap off the page, their evocative, multi-layered dialogue settling uncomfortably in the reader's mind. It's no surprise then, that the story of these characters - the fragile, tormented Blanche, her sensual, earthy sister Stella and the vulgar but powerfully attractive Stanley - are some of the most memorable in American drama.
It takes a certain kind of talent, then, to bring these characters and their stories to life onstage - to refresh a well-worn story but preserve its soul. With the help of strong, consistent acting and gorgeous visual elements, director Richard Warner does just that in this month's Culbreth Theatre production of Williams' classic drama.
"Streetcar" tells the story of a pair of sisters, Blanche and Stella DuBois, who were raised on a wealthy Southern plantation. Stella has left for New Orleans, where she was swept off her feet by Stanley Kowalski, a lower-class Polish-American. Years later, Blanche, having suffered tragedy at home, comes to New Orleans to escape her dark past. She soon finds herself locked in a desperate power struggle with Stanley, leaving Stella to balance precariously in the middle.
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In this production, Aran Cravey takes on the daunting role of Blanche, a woman whose amusing, self-assuming theatrics mask a world of emotional pain. Cravey deftly shows us both humor and pathos in Blanche's vulnerability. Although her performance is uneven at times, often making too much light of serious moments, that only enhances our sense of Blanche's unstable mental health. Cravey also looks strikingly like the Blanche that Williams might have envisioned - her delicate features and lithe figure lend credibility to her role as a fading Southern beauty.
In contrast, Laura Tetlow's Stella is a vivacious, full-figured redhead who falls head over heels for the tawdry sexual lure of Stanley and New Orleans. The conflict between Blanche and Stanley manifests itself in Stella, who retains the quiet gentleness of her Southern upbringing but still indulges in the seedier pleasures of life.
Without overshadowing the dynamics between Stanley and Blanche, the compelling Tetlow finds her niche in the story. She plays Stella with comfortable ease when the script requires it. In the brutal final scene, however, she completes her character trajectory beautifully, giving us a desperate, fragmented Stella, whose anguished cries haunt the stage as the lights dim.
It's safe to say that the strength and success of any "Streetcar" production rests on the burly, sweaty shoulders of Stanley, whose fierce sexual magnetism drives the interaction between the characters. Jason Kehler, as Stanley, is a little restrained in early scenes, but by the time we reach the famed "Stella!" scene, he is completely engrossing. He reaches a fevered pitch in the third act, carrying the play to its appropriately wrenching conclusion.
Harold Mitchell (Mitch), is the fourth key player in this twisted character drama giving one last glimmer of hope that Blanche will pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Daniel S. Perez is excellent, making an effective transition from awkward suitor to suave lover to ultimate destroyer. His and Cravey's tender moments are a piercing contrast to Kehler and Tetlow's raw sexual chemistry, and are among the production's finest.
While the acting is potent, the genius of this production lies in its visual effect. Warner constructs exquisite stage pictures to complement Williams' words. At times, the actors seem like set pieces themselves, placed carefully to suggest a certain mood. These moments - like when Blanche and Mitch share an achingly sweet scene at the far corner of the stage, their bodies entwined in an embrace, their faces lit by soft candlelight - are every bit as emotionally effective as Williams' dialogue.
Warner also is a master at creating small but significant visual details. With the help of costume designer Kathryn Rohe, Cravey's pale, ethereal beauty is stripped down scene by scene; by the last, her impeccable clothing nearly swallows her fragile frame, giving the devastating illusion of wasting away. The mysterious flower seller, whose presence can seem trite and melodramatic in less experienced hands, is haunting enough as she stands in the shadows with her back to the audience. But Warner heightens the effect by giving her gorgeous, vividly colored flowers that seem to float in the air as she offers them, one by one, to Blanche.
It's these subtle nuances in a production that make it more than just an enjoyable evening of entertainment. Warner's "Streetcar" rattles into the Culbreth with skill and intensity - and takes the audience on a breathtaking ride.
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