Theatre Arts students stage ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’

McDaniel College Theatre Arts students perform in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Tennessee Williams, Oct. 4–7 at 7:30 p.m. on stage in WMC Alumni Hall.

Tickets for the play, which contains adult content, including domestic abuse and assault, are $7 for adults and $5 for students, seniors (over 60), active military members and veterans, as well as those with a McDaniel College ID. For ticket information, call the box office at 410-857-2448.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” looks at a clash of cultures. Troubled former schoolteacher Blanche du Bois, a fading Southern Belle, moves in with her sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley, who is part of the working class, in the French Quarter of New Orleans following World War II.

Blanche’s life has been undermined by her romantic illusions, which has led her to reject the realities of life. This causes problems for Stella and Stanley, who already have a volatile relationship, leading to even greater conflict in the household. This legendary play “has become an icon of American culture,” according to the Library of Congress, and is on its list of “88 Books that Shaped America.”

The McDaniel production is directed by Theatre Arts lecturer Gené Fouché, who notes, “Tennessee Williams was a genius and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a masterpiece. It is so exciting to dig into the text and explore these characters with our students. This play was actually chosen by theatre department students and it was a smart choice.”

McDaniel senior Megan Smith of Federalsburg, Md., plays Blanche DuBois, and senior Bryan Bowen of North Beach, Md., plays Stanley Kowalski. Alex Tolle, a senior from Woodstock, Md., plays Stella Kowalski, while junior Ben Michaels of Lakeville, Minn., plays Harold “Mitch” Mitchell.

The cast also includes seniors Torreke Evans of Atlanta, Andrew Frascella of Olney, Md., Jonathan Halberstam of Manchester, Md., Valerie Lamb of Miami Gardens, Fla., Mandy Quarantillo of Montgomery Village, Md., and Brandon Richards of Huntingtown, Md., as well as junior Kiah Hyman of Columbia, Md., and sophomore Patsy Zetkulic of Arlington, Va.