“A Streetcar Named Desire’s” lead actresses work on a scene during dress rehearsal prior to the show’s open. Pictured from left, Sherry Dee Allen as “Blanche DuBois,” and Nikki Sloan as “Stella Kowalski”.
photo by Adam Cook
The “Streetcar” cast has been in rehearsals for a little over eight weeks. Pictured standing, TRP veteran Ronald King works a scene as “Mitch,” with Sherry Dee Allen agonizing on the floor as “Blanche DuBois”.
The Ringgold Playhouse is located inside the historic Depot located at 155 Depot Street downtown off U.S. Highway 41
The Ringgold Playhouse will bring the Tennessee Williams classic, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” to the historic Depot stage for a seven-show run beginning Wednesday night, Sept. 16
The Ringgold Playhouse will open its seven-show production of Tennessee Williams’ drama “A Streetcar Named Desire” beginning Wednesday night at the historic Ringgold Depot.
Officials said, "With a season that has already consisted of great audiences, and memorable shows, and a plethora of fine performances, TRP is prepared to make a statement over the next two weeks with the crown jewel of its season."
“This show is really something special,” said Adam Cook, TRP’s executive director. “We’ve had a lot of laughs this year with both “A Bad Year For Tomatoes” and “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and then we broke some hearts with “Proof,” but this show is a whole other animal all together.”
The play, which originally opened in 1947, is often regarded among the finest American plays of the 20th century.
The story garnered additional praise in 1951 with the success of the film adaptation starring Vivian Leigh, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden and Marlon Brando.
Following the loss of the family plantation in Mississippi, a fragile Blanche DuBois (Sherry Dee Allen) travels the jungle that is post-WWII New Orleans to live with her younger sister Stella Kowalski (Nikki Sloan) and her husband Stanley (Mr. Cook).
With no money and nowhere else to go, Blanche is forced to shack up in the meager, two-bedroom dwelling after years of upper-class living.
Blanche continuously battles with Stanley, whom she finds to be loud, rough, primitive, and “common.” She explains to Stella that she’s lost the family home and has taken a leave of absence from her position as an English teacher because of her nerves and exhaustion.
As the weeks pass, Blanche garners the admiration of Stanley’s poker buddy Mitch (Ronald King), whom she hopes to have a future with, while also experiencing Stanley’s manipulative, animalistic and abusive ways.
Lines are drawn and crossed as Stanley and Stella welcome a baby into the madness of the family’s world, while Blanche struggles with her delusions, and her constant living in a fantasy world creates chaos as she struggles to keep her lies straight.
Blanche eventually begins to suffer a mental breakdown after her past transgressions catch up with her, and Mitch finds out her truth.
“It’s been more work with this show than some of the others in our company’s past,” Mr. Cook said. “We take pride in all we produce, but the depth and intensity of this show has challenged all of us more than probably anticipated if we’re being honest with ourselves.”
The change of pace from a slapstick comedy (Arsenic and Old Lace) to a heavier subject matter such as “Streetcar,” has been a huge transition for some of the players.
“With comedies, it usually comes pretty naturally,” said actor Ronald King. “There’s just so much in this play, it’s draining….I don’t know if I’ll be able to do another drama for a while. I love it, but man, this has been a big challenge.”
The show is being directed by Daniel Pound, who worked as an actor earlier in the season in TRP’s two comedies.
“This is an iconic show that has a very famous movie version, so the big struggle is to try not to be compared to it, or seem like we’re copying the movie or famous productions of it,” Mr. Pound said. “We are taking things and making it our own.”
Mr. Pound says TRP’s version is shying away from traditional blackouts during scene changes, and will instead have characters and street persons keeping the New Orleans mood going as the tale advances from one scene to the next.
“For this production, I want to pull the audience into the world of these characters,” Mr. Pound explained. “Our audience is surrounded, sometimes literally, by this world. It’s going to be intense, moving, and sometimes even scary or funny….I’m really excited about it.”
Although TRP always tries to provide family-friendly entertainment, Mr. Cook did warn that the show contains adult themes.
“We’re very strategic with the shows we produce,” Mr. Cook said. “We always omit cursing outside of “hell,” or “damn,” and so far, it hasn’t affected our ability to tell stories at all. But, with “Streetcar,” the show also includes traces of domestic violence, and mature audience situations. In his writing, Williams does a good job of wording certain things so to be over the heads of youngsters in the audience, but at the same time we don’t want theatergoers to be stunned by kissing, talk of physical abuse, or even understood moments of intimacy.”
Along side Allen’s “Blanche,” the cast also includes Nikki Sloan as “Stella,” Adam Cook as “Stanley,” Ronald King as “Mitch,” Dexter Coley as “Steve,” Renee Lierow as “Eunice,” Joshua Chisholm as “Pablo” and other “street persons.” TRP veterans Julie Peters and David Dunn round out the cast as a “Nurse” and “Doctor,” as well as playing street characters of their own.
The show will run Sept. 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 26 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee to take place on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students. They can be purchased in advance in person at Ringgold city hall, over the phone at 706-935-3061, or online at www.cityofringgold.com.