A Streetcar Named Desire (Almeida Theatre)

An imperfect production of a Tennessee Williams classic still has the power to shake up an audience.

Posted on March 15, 2025 by Joel Benjamin in Off-Broadway, Plays

Paul Mescal and Patsy Ferran in a scene from the Almeida Theatre revival of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the BAM Harvey (Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes)

Many years ago the brilliant choreographer George Balanchine decided to strip the Mikhail Fokine ballet Les Sylphides down to its bare essentials, eliminating the ghostly forest setting, the moody lighting and the filmy, long tutus that gave the dancers the illusion of floating.

There it was, a bunch of ballerinas in nothing but tights and leotards, doing all the familiar Fokine steps, but instead of illusions of a poetic, fairytale world, the ballet landed with a thud—one of Balanchine’s rare failures. What was missing was the perfume, the essence of Les Sylphides.

So it is with the re-thought new Almeida Theatre production of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize winning drama A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) at the BAM Harvey Theater. Williams’ text is—nearly—intact, but the ambiance of post-World War II New Orleans, including the southern accents, is sorely missing, eliminating important, if not essential, elements of the play.

A plain platform and bits of furniture stand in for the original ornate setting, the Elysian Fields apartments in hot, muggy New Orleans (set by Madeleine Girling). Even several downpours of rain fail to evoke the heat, smell and sounds of that fabled town, “the Big Easy.”

Anjana Vasan and Patsy Ferran in a scene from the Almeida Theatre revival of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the BAM Harvey (Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes)

Even though the director, Rebecca Frecknall, honors most of the play’s dialogue, Blanche’s heartbreaking confession scene with Mitch (Dwane Walcott), her suitor, revealing the sad roots of her dysfunctional life, is truncated by several meaningful words; also, the play as written ends with the men arguing over a poker game as Stella quietly mourns in the arms of her landlady, Eunice (Janet Etuk, excellent). Here it is Stella’s mournful cries that bring the curtain down, distorting Williams’ message.

Angus Macrae’s boisterous percussion score, enthusiastically executed by Tom Penn from his nest in a balcony above the action, proved mood-breaking: jazz, yes; explosive drumming, no.

In the totally unnecessary nonverbal opening, Jabez Sykes, later the ghostly vision of Blanche DuBois’s tragic young husband, literally bends over backwards, a mysterious movement motif he repeats several times during the show.

Right away Frecknall lays her cards on the table. She makes it clear that Blanche (Patsy Ferran, Mickey 17) and Stanley Kowalski (Paul Mescal, Gladiator II) are, from the moment they meet, sparring partners. They look at each other suspiciously. Williams’ dialogue isn’t allowed to reveal their increasingly telling skirmishes.

Paul Mescal and Anjana Vasan in a scene from the Almeida Theatre revival of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the BAM Harvey (Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes)

Stella (Anjana Vasan) is one character in this Almeida production who stands out as refreshingly more sensual than usual, including the 1951 Hollywood film. Vasan wears her sexuality in full view.

The secondary characters, particularly Stanley’s poker buddies, are not clearly drawn including Mitch, the one man that Blanche connects with, and dissipating his moving scenes with the wounded Blanche whose interpretation by Ferran included lots of nervous hand gestures and a rat-tat-tat delivery.

Mescal makes Stanley Kowalski less menacing than usual, his outbursts tantrums rather than explosions.

When not on stage the actors wandered around the platform watching, or ignoring, the action—a device that borders on cliché.

Dwane Walcott and Patsy Ferran in a scene from the Almeida Theatre revival of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the BAM Harvey (Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes)

Merle Hensel’s costumes are too contemporary, except for Blanche’s worn-out gowns. Hensel perhaps didn’t read the script carefully. When Blanche first sees her slightly bedraggled sister, she comments quite specifically on what Stella wears, a detail ignored by Hensel.

Lee Curran’s moody lighting provides some atmosphere and dramatic tension.

Nevertheless, this A Streetcar Named Desire is authentic enough that newcomers to the show will get an idea of its powerful theme of harsh reality triumphing over poetic fantasy and the crushing cruelty of the modern world.

A Streetcar Named Desire (through April 6, 2025)

Almeida Theatre

Harvey Theater at BAM Strong, 651 Fulton Street, in Brooklyn

For tickets, call 718-636-4100 or visit http://www.BAM.org

Running time: two hours and 5 minutes including one intermission

About Joel Benjamin (592 Articles)

JOEL BENJAMIN was a child performer on Broadway and danced with leading modern dance and ballet companies. Joel has been attending theater, ballet and opera performances ever since childhood, becoming quite opinionated over the years. He was the founder and artistic director of the American Chamber Ballet and subsequently was massage therapist to the stars before becoming a reviewer and memoirist. He is a member of the Outer Critics Circle.