Blog 3 Suitability of Drama in “A Streetcar Named Desire”

         “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a famous play written by Tennessee Williams. The heroine Blanche in this play is a typical southern lady. After her family has gradually degenerated, she had to take refuge in the sister Stella. However, misfits with her brother-in-law Stanley’s roughly lifestyle and then was raped by Stanley, Blanche was finally in the asylum.

          This play was written in 1940s, when the modern industrial civilization of the north and the traditional cultivation of the south formed a sharp conflict. Under the impact of the modern industrial civilization, many young people felt lost in their lives. At the same time, the new feminist movement was also rising in the United states. These factors make Williams have the motivation of creating this play.

         “A Streetcar Named Desire” is suited as a drama because the theatre environment creates an opportunity to create a spectacle, which is the characteristic of the play. In theatre, a spectacle is a portrayal of a visually striking performance, which suits the highly dramatic and controversial nature of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Furthermore, the elements of theatre allow for the portrayal of colorful and dynamic characters in the play, and the expression of strong feelings and emotions that help in connecting with the audience.

            One of the scenes in the play is the busy apartment neighborhood. Dynamism in stage design allows the stage’s aesthetic to portray the setting, and make it come alive. Stage design including the use of colorful stage pieces and the manipulation of the hues of lighting create the tone or atmosphere that often changes throughout the play. “A Streetcar Named Desire” is also full of dynamic or colorful characters, best portrayed with a live performance that aims to create a spectacle. Blanche drinks heavily, while Stella is highly aggressive towards her husband. These characteristics necessitate wide movements that can be made on stage.

            Through drama, flashbacks can also be revealed as dynamically as possible. While Blanche remembers her tragic past, the events that occurred before can be portrayed simultaneously. Mitch also does the same. The nature of theatre wherein the stage can be divided to have different settings as well as time, allows for these flashbacks to take place as both Blanche and Mitch remember and share them with each other.

            The emotions in the narrative, particularly towards the end when Mitch arrives drunk and confronts Blanche, who is also drunk, and Stanley assaulting Blanche aim to portray her pain and struggle of being rejected, and then being abused. The audience needs to feel this so they may be able to understand Blanche despite her being an unlikable character. This is possible through drama, because the live performance allows the characters to connect directly with the audience, to move the audience. In turn, the audience can feel the raw emotions that they see in a live performance. One of the important thread in this play is the conflict of Blanche’s fantasy and the reality of the world. In order to express this the play, Williams did not let Blanche say a “not” in the script. Without too much burden of the stage, Williams express this theme by wine, light, water and fire. These four symbolic things incisively showed Blanche’s psychological state and laid the foundation of stage effect.