In the United States, the 1940's was a time riddled with echoes of the Great Depression and the effects of World War II. There was a sense of fear amongst American people, and one of the few escapes from the real world was entertainment. The television and movie industries were growing, but, like the rest of the country, Broadway was in a time of uncertain change. Theatres were being replaced with film houses, the number of productions was at a low, and the unemployment rate amongst actors was a shocking 80% (Morrden 49). However, in 1947 one of the most significant plays in American history opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. That play was A Streetcar Named Desire. The production not only came at a time when theatre needed it, but it also featured the work of an immensely significant group of individuals that permanently impacted the industry. From Tennessee Williams to Elia Kazan, and from Jo Mielziner to actors Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy, A Streetcar Named Desire truly featured the work of a Broadway all-star team. .
Streetcar chronicles Blanche DuBois' search for protection and eventual mental breakdown at the hands of her sister's husband, Stanley Kowalski. When Blanche arrives in New Orleans, she and Stanley's clashing personalities are made apparent from the start. She is tender, proper, and a bit delusional, while he represents tough reality and the brutal nature of man. They both struggle for control of Stella and Mitch, and Stanley reveals unfavorable stories from Blanche's past in an attempt to turn them against her. Finally, in the climax of the story, Stanley asserts his dominance over Blanche by raping her and pushing her fragile mind over the edge. She is taken away to a mental institution as the play fades to black. The production was a "masterpiece, winning every major honor, including the Pulitzer Prize, The Donaldson Award, and the New York Drama Critic's Award (Wilmeth 626).
Tennesee Williams' Use Of Stage Effects And How They Change A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire is mastery of the use of lighting, setting, and sound to add to emotion and meaning to a play. ... It seems that the minor details of music, sound effects, lighting, and setting were actually some of the most important points of A Streetcar Named Desire. ...
In A Streetcar Named Desire the part that Tennessee Williams' life plays in the text is fairly large. ... His father withdrew him from university to work at the International Shoe Company, where he met Stanley Kowalski, who Tennessee Williams' has plastered all over A Streetcar Named Desire. ... Quoting A Streetcar Named Desire: The Playwright (http://hipp.gator.net/scarplaywright.html): 'He was noted for bringing to his audiences a slice of his own life and the feel of the southern culture. ... A personal interest/experience in the themes/issues and characters would not have...
The purest language of plays" - just by studying 'A streetcar named Desire" the reader can identity the numerous symbols Williams' uses to add depth to the plot as well as unveil his characters' personalities, strengths and weaknesses. ... Light, animal characteristics, music and the streetcars Desire and Cemeteries are symbols that Kazan puts emphasis on in the film just as Williams does in the play to lead up to the climax of Blanche's disintegration into insanity and Stanley's brutal triumph over her. ... "They told me to take a streetcar named Desire and then tr...
In A Street Car Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, Stanley Kowalski displays his brutality in many ways. ... I've discussed the aspect of brutality in A Streetcar Named Desire and now I want to compare it briefly to brutality in The Program, A book turned screenplay. Latimer, a linebacker on the football team has some aggression problems. ... Stanley was very manipulative, although no one in A Streetcar Named Desire was very innocent. ... The first story, A Streetcar Named Desire was written in 1947 and The Program just less then 50 years later in 1993. ...
Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire- Tennesse Williams is known as one of the greatest American playwrights. ... Among his most notable and successful plays were "The Glass Menagerie-, which he refers to as "memory play-, "A Streetcar Named Desire-, "The Rose Tatoo- and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof- for which he was appreciated winning the Pulitzer Prize. ... "Streetcar Named Desire- which was firstly entitled "The Poker Night- emerged right after the theatrical success of "The Glass Menagerie- when the authour learned to play poker game. ... The moment Blanche appea...
" A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams Bruce, Smith. ... "It's a French name. ... She tells him the origins of her name, which she treasures. ... "A Streetcar Named Desire" did not grab my attention at all. ... "A Streetcar Named Desire" was written in 1933, and many things have changed since then. ...
Viewing of A Streetcar Named Desire Although the basic story line is the same in both the book and the live play of A streetcar Named Desire, some things were different. ... For the most part, reading A Streetcar Named Desire was very similar to the live performance. ...
In the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams, there are several prevalent themes. ... This is allegorically represented through Blanche DuBois's riding of the streetcars named Desire and Cemeteries. ... In "A Streetcar Named Desire", Tennessee Williams states that one can not shield himself from the harshness of reality by creating a fantasy alternative. ... This desire for physical relationships brought her to a more troubled state of reality. ... Tennessee Williams uses his play "A Streetcar Named Desire" to demonstrate the problem one faces with creating a fantasy...
