A Streetcar Named Desire
by Wimberley Players

Sep. 01 - Sep. 24
Fridays-Sundays

An explosive and heartrending study of the human condition and 1950’s southern society, skillfully brought to life in Tennessee Williams’ iconic characters Stanley and Stella Kowalski along with Stella’s fallen from grace sister, Blanche Dubois. 

Following a series of losses, Blanche DuBois, a faded Southern belle, is forced to move into a shabby New Orleans apartment with her younger sister and brother-in-Williams’ play is American theatre at its best.

Feature in the Wimberley View, August 31, 2023

 

 

In 1947, only two years after his highly successful play “The Glass Menagerie” premiered, Tennessee Williams at the age of 36 opened “A Streetcar Named Desire” – a future Pulitzer Prize-winning American masterpiece that still captivates audiences with its powerful portrayal of intricate human relationships and such issues as mental illness, domestic violence, and repressed sexuality. Over the next few years, his writing legacy continued with some of the most iconic plays to grace the American theater stage including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1955), “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1959), and “The Night of the Iguana” (1961). Along with Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams is ranked among the foremost playwrights of 20th century American drama.

The play unfolds as, after her fall from grace and the loss of her family home, Blanche DuBois moves to the New Orleans French Quarter to live with her younger sister Stella and Stella's husband Stanley Kowalski. This domestic situation sparks a tumultuous relationship between Blanche and her brother-in-law. Blanche, yearning to escape her current predicament, pins her hopes on Stanley's friend, Mitch, as her sole means of salvation. However, Stanley's interference soon dismantles this plan, along with Blanche's delicate grasp on sanity.

Director Trish Rigdon and her creative design team including Kevin Rigdon, set and lighting, Dylan Byrnes, sound, Kristin Knipp, costumes have meticulously recreated the atmospheric essence of 1947 New Orleans on The Players' stage, providing an immersive backdrop for this exceptional cast that includes Johanna Bain Johnson as Blanche Dubois, William Windle as Stanley Kowalski, Lauren Bouquet as Stella Kowalski, Angel Cruz as Mitch Mitchell, Molly Poorboy as Eunice Hubbell, Robby Vance as Steve Hubbell, and an ensemble of other characters played by Carla Daws, Pedro Marchessini, and Robert Moritz.

The 1951 film version starred most of the actors from the original Broadway production, including Marlon Brando as Stanley, Karl Malden as Mitch, and Kim Hunter as Stella. 

"A Streetcar Named Desire" remains a thought-provoking and emotionally charged work that invites audiences to engage in discussions about its essential themes. Its enduring impact serves as a testament to the power of theater to illuminate societal issues and prompt reflection on the human experience. The Wimberley Players hope you will join them as we invite these inevitable conversations.

Directed by Trish Rigdon. Produced by Greg Dew.

 

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A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams
Wimberley Players

September 1 – 24, 2023

Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 pm
Sundays 2:30 pm

Adults: $22
Students with ID: $18

The Wimberley Playhouse
450 Old Kyle Road
Wimberley, TX 78676

WimberleyPlayers.org
Box office 512-847-0575

Tickets online at WimberleyPlayers.org or contact the box office at 512-847-0575.