In STREETCAR, why is Stella always considered Featured/Supporting??

This always amazes me: in every production of Streetcar (apart from the McDormand revival), Blanche is considered LEADING and Stella is considered FEATURED or SUPPORTING.

For the original movie, Kim Hunter won the Oscar for Supporting Actress; in the 2005 Broadway revival, Amy Ryan was nominated for the Featured Actress Tony; for the 2010 London revival, Rachel Weisz won the Olivier for Best Actress (leading) while Ruth Wilson won the Olivier for Supporting Actress.

To me, the two women are most definitely LEADING as the story centres around both of them, no?

Also, in THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, Anna Manahan won the 1998 Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play when her role is clearly not a supporting one but a LEADING one - Maureen Folan is considered LEADING but shouldn't Mag Folan be, too?

I think I remember reading somewhere that the producers applied to the Tony committee to have the role of Mag designated as featured (she has a few scenes less than Maureen due to her demise) in order that both Marie Mullen and Anna Manahan could win (as they did). In Ireland Anna's best actress in a featured role got more coverage than Marie's best actress award due to her being such an iconic veteran in the Irish theatre. She had previously been nominated for Brian Friel's Lovers during the 1960s.

Thats right - its the Young Vic production from London. Rosaleen Linehan is a huge draw in Ireland - she was already a big star as a comedienne and in TV and revue from the variety era before she was lauded as one of our leading serious actors from the mid-eighties on. Her image is used on all the Beauty Queen publicity (Derbhle Crotty as Maureen is given equal billing but not depicted). In Ireland both roles are considered leads.

Streetcar is about Blanche. It is her story. Without Blanche all the other characters are dull and familiar - even the beast Stanley. Blanche's entry into their lives makes the play happen.

Stella's story supports Blanche's, as does everyone else's in the play.

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Because Stella isn't the main character of the story. She isn't even the second most important character of the story. And she isn't on stage as much.

It's pretty simple, actually. It's definitely a supporting role. A great one, but supporting nonetheless.

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