The flighty Blanche DuBois, played by Robin Zerbe, takes a moment to reflect on happier times. / Photo by: Traci Brooks

The iconic play, “A Streetcar Named Desire” comes to life at the Waddell Theater through the final weekend of February, presented by Taking Flight Theatre Company. The demanding, emotional play fares well on the stage, breathing an honest, raw air into the gritty play set in the 1940s.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” follows Blanche DuBois, a fading southern beauty, who comes for an extended stay with her sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley Kowalski. Blanche works to keep hidden her real reasons for visiting, and her secrecy begins to wreak havoc on Stella and Stanley’s relationship, as Stella often finds herself defending her sister to her husband. As Blanche tries to find her place into the industrial, blue collar New Orleans, her world as she knows it begins to crumble.

Despite such volatile material, director Matthew Randall commented that the rehearsal process has been very smooth. “We built in extra time [in the rehearsal process], so we were able to do a lot of what we call ‘table work’ and really explore deeply into these characters.” He praised the actors for taking the characters beyond two-dimensional people, remembering a rehearsal where the actors first rehearsed with the set. “The characters inhabited the stage,” Randall noted, “instead of the actors playing the characters.”

Stella, played by Shannon Khatcheressian, and Stanley, played by James Finley, consult over what to do with Blanche, Stella's sister. / Photo by: Traci Brooks

James Finley, who plays Stanley, agreed that there was more to each character than meets the eye. “Stanley… is a man of instinct,” Finley said. “Generally, that works well for him, and then there are some glaring examples of when it works very poorly for him.” Finley continued to describe the character as charming yet passionate, one who cares fiercely and dislikes fiercely — an equal and challenging match for both his calm, down-to-earth wife and her superior, ever-changing sister.

On stage, Finley performs the character of Stanley with an energy and vibrancy appropriate for the Polish laborer. When paired with the droll, yet strong Stella, played by Shannon Khatcheressian, the chemistry on stage is hard to ignore. While it doesn’t happen often, the few times the Kowalski family are in the same room as Blanche, played by Robin Zerbe, are easily the most captivating scenes as the audience is shown a glimpse into the complications family can bring.

“Everybody has one of these characters in their family,” Khatcheressian said. Khatcheressian, a founding member of Taking Flight Theatre Company, is making her return to the stage after serving as Artistic Director for two years for the company. “I pulled from my own family to be able to relate to a lot of these circumstances.”

Blanche, played by Robin Zerbe, returns home after a date with her would-be suitor, Harold "Mitch" Mitchell, played by Scott D. Pafumi. / Photo by: Traci Brooks

The play maintains its relevance, Katcheressian said, despite Tennesee Williams writing it decades ago. “Even though it’s set in 1946, the same conflict and turmoil and love and patience is present [today],” she said.

“You worry that people will dismiss it… but at the same time, you hope that people want to see it,” added Finley. “We hope that we can show people that, while they are not without flaws, they are also not without virtue.”

By: Traci J. Brooks

Stay updated by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.