STREETCAR Returning to Broadway in Spring?- Page 3

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 6:30pm

1. A multi-racial cast could work if the audience is just able to accept it as color blind casting: that nobody's race matters. (Like in a perfect world.)

2. I don't mind an older Stanley -- even if he's older than Blanche...then you are just playing around with the concept of worth, in the eye of the beholder. If Stella is young and pretty and desirable, and Blanche is deemed as past her prime, the actual age doesn't really matter: it's a perception of "value"...both Blanch's confidence as well as the southern society. Your younger sister getting married first could be perceived as terribly earth shattering to the older sister and the family.

[Donthatecongratulate]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 9:17pm

"Rose royally botched Maggie, so I'd like to keep her as far away from this production as possible. Sanaa Lathan would be an ideal Blanche."

heck no. sanaa lathan is so rigid and technical on stage you need a blanche who would throw her whole soul into it. i say audra mcdonald or deidre aziza two very good actresses. rose would make a much better stella. she has a gentleness about her face & voice that would be hard to translate into a blanche.

non-traditional casting is stupid. keep it black. people of all races will come to see a shirtless underwood.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 10:36pm

Stanley can be older than Stella...the standards that apply to Stella's past-it-ness hardly apply to Stanley. I would love to see Viola Davis take part.

Yay for Tennesse Williams getting some love in his centenery year. (Or 101st..)

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 11:40pm

I directed an (almost) all-black production in college with two of the most extraordinary young actresses. They were remarkable and only 21.

But, I learned the hard way, that a multi-racial production ONLY makes sense if Stanley is white and the rest are black. It creates a stunning dichotomy for the "He walks like an animal..." speech.

We had an all-black cast, save one actor: our Mitch. This seemed wise to me, but I now realized that it should've been the other man.

Now, I must admit: I didn't go into it wanting to make a statement on race. If they want to, go for it. But for me it was about giving the students in our department who were remarkable forces an opportunity to play roles they'd (probably) never get to play professionally after graduation.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:48am

I'm sorry, but are we all fine with another revival of this just seven years after the last major production?

[Kad]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:57am

I don't know. I just can't ever see myself believing a production of Streetcar in which an African American is repeatedly referred to as a "Polack".

[theatreguy]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 1:10am

For whatever it's worth, Underwood says his choices would be Sanna Lathan and Anika Noni Rose for Blanche and Stella (skip past the Spider-Man stuff):

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/spidey_sales_tuck_YCo02DZHN2s5uxatmjDYfO

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 7:58am

Hell yeah, Sanaa!

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 9:57am

If Blair Underwood Is who I think he is he is about as masculine as Wally Cox, in comparing him to the totally and sexually masculine Marlon Brando.

Nevertheless, I have never seen a stage production of STREETCAR and would love the opportunity.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 10:32am

"I don't know. I just can't ever see myself believing a production of Streetcar in which an African American is repeatedly referred to as a "Polack"."

I agree, Kad.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 10:33am

That explosion you just heard was Hunter Foster's head as he was furiously typing on his Facebook page about Hollywood actors making their Broadway debuts.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 11:36am

"I don't know. I just can't ever see myself believing a production of Streetcar in which an African American is repeatedly referred to as a "Polack"."

Do we think it might not be possible to change 'Polack' to another...um...word?

[Kad]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 11:39am

Sure, it's possible, if the Miller estate allows it. I'm hard-pressed to think of a word equal in strength that would work in this context, though.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:37pm

Blair Underwood? I don't see him being able to scream "Stella!" He seems a bit too metrosexual for the role.

[madlibrarian]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:39pm

The Miller estate?

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:48pm

"I'm hard-pressed to think of a word equal in strength that would work in this context, though."

You're kidding...right? Or are you arguing that the word 'n*' simply wouldn't be uttered by Blanche.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:49pm

That's what I meant, yeah. I don't think it would really work in this context.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:50pm

I'm going to guess the Williams' estate wouldn't allow that. Lol

[Kad]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:52pm

And ****! I meant Williams. After I posted, I hopped in the shower and it dawned on me. I haven't been able to edit my posts on here for a while.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:53pm

I've made that same mistake a lot, Kad. I dont know why I mix those names up so often!

[Kad]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:55pm

I was thinking of estates that are really strict in regards to changes with scripts.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 12:55pm

This is why I'd love to be an actor - from saving the planet from aliens in The Event to Tennessee Williams. And Blair Underwood is most definitely masculine enough for Stanley!

Did the Williams estate allow for any race-related changes to the fairly recent Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, or were any even needed?

[Kad]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 1:04pm

I don't recall there be anything in the text of CAT that is specifically race-related.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 1:06pm

There is a line that Big Daddy has that refers to the 'n' word, but it didn't need to be changed to make sense.

I imagine there'll have to be some sort of change...or they're just going with 'Polack' and not worry too much about it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 1:39pm

It should be noted that when Tennessee Williams started licensing his plays, he made it a rule that any productions of his plays could not be performed if the audience was segregated.

And no, Blair Underwood is not masculine enough to play Stanley. He's too refined. He's not on the screen, he has to project enough character to fill a Broadway theater.