They've dropped the "Kowalski" from Stanley's name in new Streetcar revival- Page 4

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:00pm

That's too bad- I know Debbie Allen was criticized by many for Directing CAT like a Tyler Perry sitcom but I don't think this production is directed at all for broad laughs.

[somethingbypuccini]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:02pm

I don't think it was. The actor's didn't seem to be playing it for laughs, and I didn't see it in the direction either.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:03pm

^With all due respect, Gaveston, I never said anything to diminish the specificity of any facet of the play yet under discussion or in any way implied that the archetypes with which I identified the antagonists were the sole means of defining these two characters you correctly identify as both richly individuated and of a precise historical moment.

I was merely highlighting what I hold to be - as it happens, your post seems to suggest we concur - at the heart of the play in order to put all other matters herein discussed in their proper and relative - albeit by no means insignificant - perspective.


Updated On: 4/3/12 at 11:03 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:07pm

Oh boy. If the laughter continues, that's going to drive me crazy.

[somethingbypuccini]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:09pm

The audience, at least around me, was pretty atrocious. Texting, unwrapping candy, phones going off, full conversations carried out, the man in the couple sitting next to me even started snoring at one point.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:19pm

Snoring? Perhaps they should add a character who enters on occasion yelling "DY-NO-MIIIIIIITE!" as a wake-up call.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:27pm

As Blanche might have put it, I should have known it would only be a matter of time until this thread gave itself over to the beasts!

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:29pm

No, the actors were certainly not playing for laughs except for Underwood in his first scenes going through her scenes. They are playing them quite well (if standard and straight-forward) but when Stanley is insulting Blanche, spitting on her, pulling on her dress you should not be laughing. When she broke the bottle to use as a weapon people literally went "oooooh! Go girl!" and laughed around me. They can certainly adjust certain deliveries and staging to cut down on the laughter, but it seemed to be the audience's fault for expecting Tyler Perry. I will say it isn't directed in the style (the Cat revival DEFINITELY was).

The food consumption around me was awful as well.

This production is done quite nicely (I still wish it were Anika Noni Rose though) but this audience didn't seem to understand the depth, nature, tone, and MAGIC of the language. The play is still a word for word masterpiece (even if you take out the word Pollack).

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:31pm

What's the design like? I didn't like the design of the BAM production.

And people laugh when they're uncomfortable, and I'm sure this show will draw a lot of tourists and younger people, so I wouldn't expect the audience behavior to change.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:34pm

The set is just a very realistic run down two bedroom flat- very standard for STREETCAR- less abstract than what was used at BAM

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:36pm

The design of the piece is also straight forward and basic. It looks just like every other set of Streetcar I've ever seen. It works well and isn't as "off kitler" as BAMs.

No, it was definitely NOT nervous laughter. I hope the behavior does improve, but as someone who saw Fences and Cat fairly late in their runs I'm willing to bet it won't, sadly.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/12 at 11:48pm

Oh, I don't mean nervous laughter. I just mean when people feel uncomfortable - like something overtly sexual (like when the two guys kiss in Spring Awakening) or something really serious (like when Rashad was in August) people just laugh. It's annoying, but whatever.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:10am

Michael Bennett, can you expand your thoughts a bit on Nicole Ari Parker? I've always found her quite alluring on screen, but though she trained at NYU, I've never seen her on stage. She's a very, very interesting choice for Blanche.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:17am

I liked her- something in her voice and persona reminded me of a young Lena Horne. Her Blanche was less flighty than most I've seen and she avoided the trap of playing Blanche as crazy from the word go. She has good stage chops, a clearly drawn foundation for her character and is well on her way to giving a great performance-- it's a role that has endless depths to mine.

[Idiot]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 12:21am

"I'm Lena Horne and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's hard, UUUUGLY tartah."

Makes me smile every time I think of it.

[Idiot]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 2:17am

Interested to know:

Of the people who have no problem with this STREETCAR, how many of you are actors?

Of the people (like me) who don't care for the idea, how many are writers?

[JoanBennett]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 9:39am

"Michael Bennett, can you please remove the information you've added to this thread that's useful for contextualizing the choices of the revival's creative team? I was more comfortable being outraged. Thanks in advance." - Funny!

Michael Bennett, thank you for adding so much to this conversation. MUCH appreciated.

[egghumor]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 9:41am

Have we forgotten that Tallulah Bankhead played Blanche? Can you f'ing imagine...???


Tallulah crashes Streetcar Updated On: 4/4/12 at 09:41 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 9:58am

You know its interesting because I thought of Bankhead last night when I was reading about the laughter at the first preview (it should be noted that at the final dress, the actors were obviously not greeted with that kind of audience reaction).

Bankhead who had long wanted to play Blanche (and according to some reports had even been Williams' first choice for the role) finally got her chance in the 1956 City Center revival. By most accounts Bankhead attempted to play the role earnestly, but the audience expecting a Tallulah camp-fest reacted as if the production were a comedy. She was apparently devastated by the reaction.

I feel for the actors in this revival if the reaction last night is what they to look forward to over the next 16 weeks. I think STREETCAR has a lot of humour in it, I think I can even imagine a scenario in which Blanche's final line might arouse satisfied laughter or applause; but for the poetry of the piece to be lost because this productions target audience can't appreciate it is a shame.

For better or for worse, Debbie Allen did understand what kind of reaction primarily black audiences would have to Tennessee Williams and she directed CAT in a manner that catered to it.

It feels as if this production has been done very much in earnest, so I'd be surprised if the cast wasn't a little bit horrified by the titters.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 10:02am

You're making me very excited to see this, MB. I'm really looking forward to it.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 10:30am

MB, you've put my thoughts into words brilliantly. Not to speak for the actors, but they seemed to me to try to correct the laughter in most situations as best they could. They are playing it in exterme earnest (except of course the actual jokes) and I'm sure they will work on ways to prevent them, or maybe they'll go full Allen/Perry and play to it.

I was actually dreading and expecting hoots and hollers on Blanche's final line. It IS an ironic/knowing/humorous line, but I was expecting knee-slaps. I was pleased to discover that it only got an appropriate audible smirk. This, I think is partially due to Daphne Rubin-Vega's wrenching performance and crying leading up to it to convey a "this is SERIOUS, y'all!" tone.

I'm frankly jealous you got to see the invited dress with a non responsive audience. I probably would have been just as enraptured as you, especially with Rubin-Vega and Parker's subtle and grounded performances.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 10:37am

Also, the Playbill said the setting was 1953. They play was written in 1947 and the film came out in 1951. Does anyone know why they changed it (not that a couple of years makes a difference)?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 10:38am

I will say that even in the final dress, the moment of Mitch turning on the light and seeing Blanche's 'real age' for the first time was one that I though could have been staged more effectively. I think Mann could easily avert laughter in that spot with some different blocking.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 10:42am

These threads have gotten me thinking. Does anyone know of anyone who has published on contemporary American theater audience behavior from a subculturally comparative perspective.... preferably with both courage and sensitivity? If someone has, I'd love to read it.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/4/12 at 10:48am

I didn't notice the listed change in setting, khaki, though in hindsight, I should have noticed that the clothing definitely reflected that.

It would be interesting to hear Emily Mann's explanation for the change - I assume it was to make the play for this cast more historically believable in some context.