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>> A COMPELLING CATE BLANCHETT STARS IN 'A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE' AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
Cate Blanchett is compelling in her role as Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Kennedy Center
Date published: 11/5/2009
By LUCIA ANDERSON FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR How surprising is it that an Australian theater company and a Norwegian director should be able to pull off a vigorous production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," that quintessential Southern Gothic piece of theater? Cate Blanchett is forcible as Blanche DuBois, trying desperately to spin gold out of the straw of her life. From her initial entrance seeking refuge in New Orleans with her sister, Stella, through her cat-and-mouse battles with Stella's menacing husband, Stanley, to her final escape, Blanchett gives a powerful performance. It just might be too powerful. Playwright Tennessee Williams' Blanche is a fragile spirit, irremediably damaged by psychic trauma in her past, able to survive only by ignoring everything except that which she wants to be true. Blanchett's Blanche often seems too much in control, a woman masquerading as a delicate flower while she works hard to manipulate those around her. In a recent newspaper interview, director Liv Ullman is quoted as saying she doesn't believe Blanche is mad. This could explain the unexpected strength of will Blanchett demonstrates. However, the play loses some of its poignancy when Blanche is more poseur than wind-blown butterfly. For most of the play, Joel Edgerton displays a fine understanding of Stanley's insolent bully. He isn't a loutish brute, but he is supremely arrogant and determined to conquer the threat to his domestic happiness that Blanche represents. However, Ullman has chosen to tinker with the ending--muting the effect of the rape scene by changing Stanley's line from "We've had this date with each other from the beginning!" to "We've had a thing for each other from the beginning," making his sexual assault seem consensual. Then, in the final scene, Edgerton seems solicitous of Blanche--a complete reversal of character. While not a classic interpretation, this is a commendable production. Robin McLeavy does a fine job with the thankless role of Stella, and Tim Richards gives a strong performance as Blanche's beau, Mitch. The Australian cast is universally convincing as to American accent, although perhaps not totally true to the Deep South. Set designer Ralph Myer has created a depressingly scruffy apartment, and Tess Schofield has had a lot of fun with Blanche's costumes. While this "Streetcar" may not fit everyone's expectations, it will certainly stick in the playgoer's memory.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 11/5/2009
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