The New York Times says it’s one of the greatest plays ever penned by an American playwright. New York Theater agrees, calling it one of the best plays of the past 100 years.
It’s Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-prize winning A Streetcar Named Desire, and it’s coming to the stage at Newport’s Falcon Theatre.
The production opens March 16.
The play can seem dated, dealing with antiquated subject matter: strict gender norms, Southern Belles, mid-20th-Century chastity and views of female sexuality, but on the play’s 70th anniversary, director Nate Netzley is updating the play’s stage setting to modern post-Katrina New Orleans in order to illustrate the play’s universal themes and ideas.
“Williams was not writing a period piece. He was not taking a snapshot of ‘Where we are in New Orleans in 1947,’” says Netzley. “He was examining how we deal with trauma, power, love, and of course desire. These themes are not unique to any given point in time.”
Falcon’s production features Tara Williams as Blanche DuBois, Phineas Clark as Stanley Kowalski, Ellie Margolis as Stella Kowalski, and Charlie Roetting as Mitch Mitchell. The cast also includes Torie Pate, Derek Snow, Ray Dzhorgov, Natasha Boeckmann, Tanner McDole, and Terry Gosdin.
Performances are at 8 p.m. on March 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, and 31, 2018.
Ticket prices are $22 for adults, $15 for students with ID. Patrons enjoy a $5 discount for Thursday performances. Visit falcontheater.net to reserve seats.
