The Paramount Theater screened the London National Theatre’s production of Tennessee Williams’s classic “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Sunday, Sept. 28. Despite problems inherent in presenting a live show on film, the broadcast made clear why the production has become the fastest-selling production in the history of London’s Young Vic Theatre.
While the show was immortalized in Elia Kazan’s 1951 film adaptation, starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, a live show is a different beast entirely. The production's staging consisted of a revolving rectangular stage in the round, with the longer ends reaching the audience’s feet. The stage even rotated at various points in the show, lending each audience member varied views of the action. Overall, it worked to create a certain intimacy between the audience and the show’s violent, dark material.
The actors, meanwhile, carried the show with great performances. Blanche’s hypocrisy is brought to life by Gillian Anderson, who effortlessly shows the lead’s southern aristocratic demeanor to be skin deep — an interesting attitude, especially considering the character’s troubled past and the way she looks down on her sister Stella’s life in New Orleans. Anderson shapes a terrifying but captivating journey as the audience puzzles through what about Blanche is real and what is not.
Ben Foster’s Stanley, meanwhile, is a great opponent for Blanche. Foster embraces the horrifying animal impulses which define Stanley — especially in the infamous poker scene. One moment he is violently assaulting Stella (Vanessa Kirby), and the next he is on the ground, screaming and crying for her. It is impossible not to get chills.
Kirby gives a solid performance as Stella, though she sometimes slips from her southern accent into a British one for a word or two — at times a little distracting. This was not enough to mar the show’s reputation, however, as the ensemble was consistently powerful.
Despite the high production quality, some of its drama was definitely lost in watching the show on film. The staging was clearly designed to produce uncomfortable intimacy with action on the stage — something which lost of its punch on film.
Likewise, the in-the-round staging naturally means any audience member has a skewed view of the action at any given time. This staging can have great effect in a live setting, presenting a consistent if biased view of the action — but again, this did not translate to film. Instead of providing a consistent “best view” of the action, the film seemed to shift between providing this ideal view and picking an arbitrary vantage point, ultimately distracting from the stage performance.
Despite these format-related shortcomings, the production was a great success, with the Paramount Theater offering a wonderful opportunity for Charlottesville residents to see the work of a prestigious London theater right in their hometown.
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