In 1947, Tennessee Williams unveiled A Streetcar Named Desire to an American audience with fresh memories of war and all that comes after. He wrote it explicitly for the time, and yet, nearly 80 years on, the story remains essential.
“The thing that I love about Williams is that he speaks to the human condition,” says Carrie Houk, executive artistic director at the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, which will stage A Streetcar Named Desire at The Grandel from August 7–17. “It’s hard not to lose a sense of humanity in the world we’re living in right now. It’s more important than ever that we learn to make connections and remain kind.”
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Making connections has been one of Houk’s goals since she first staged a production of Stairs to the Roof with the support of the Regional Arts Commission in 2014. What Houk thought might be a blip in her long career has turned into a passion and a beloved part of St. Louis’ theatrical community. Each year, through educational programming, events, fundraisers, and—of course—a mainstage production, the festival reminds St. Louis that Tennessee Williams is not only one of the great American playwrights, but also one of our most talented native sons.
“St. Louis [is] one of the more important chapters in Williams’ life,” Houk says. “Many of us who grew up here grew up with the understanding that he hated it here, but he didn’t hate St. Louis… I think it is really wonderful that we have so many sites that were influences on his writing until the end. He never lost St. Louis in his writing. The more you read, the more you understand that, even in later works.”
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As the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis celebrates its 10th season, programs will include scholarly panels, a walking tour of key Williams-related sites around the Central West End, a “Stella” shouting contest, and the mainstage production itself, directed by Michael James Reed.
Reed is a longtime friend of the festival. He participated in that very first reading of Stairs to the Roof back in 2014 and has attended every production since. This year, he’s bringing his expertise to the return of Streetcar—first staged by the festival in 2018—which Reed calls “possibly the greatest American play of the 20th century.” Written just after World War II, A Streetcar Named Desire is a tale of longing, brutality, and secrets that centers on three figures: Blanche; her sister, Stella; and her brother-in-law, Stanley.
“Williams was writing to an audience that had just come out of a brutal World War. He knew exactly what those audience members had just lived through,” Reed says. “And he knew that audiences were going to come out of that war with a desire to express their collective pain as a society, and I think what he wrote here is a devastating play with some devastating central characters.”
Those characters will be brought to life by a cast that is “stacked to blow the roof off The Grandel” according to Houk, including Beth Bartley at Blanche, Todd D’Amour as Stanley, and Isa Venere as Stella. The goal, says Reed, is for this production to communicate the heart of the story beyond its time and place.
“I’m so excited for audiences to watch this story unfold before their eyes, because, maybe disturbingly, it is a period piece, but the fight that goes on in this play is not exclusive to another century. The ability of relationships to turn like this because of ego, because of desire, because of conflict, still exists,” Reed says. “I just want to keep on focusing on the heart of the story so that modern audiences can look at this not as a museum piece or as Tennessee waxing poetically. I think this is a truly raw emotional piece that I’m hoping that they’ll connect with.”
More to (Tennes)See
Events to enjoy beyond the mainstage
August 8: Stella Shouting Contest
Festival attendees can compete to give their best “Stella!” at this free competition.
August 9: Scholar Panels
This season’s panels include Tennessee in St. Louis/Tennessee in New Orleans; 10 Years of Tennessee; and Streetcar Adapted for Opera, Film, and Stage.
August 9: Austin Pendleton: A Life in the Theatre
Enjoy a conversation with award-winning actor and director Austin Pendleton and former Riverfront Times theater reviewer Dennis Brown.
August 10: Central West End Walking Tour
Explore key sites from Tennessee Williams’ life in St. Louis during this morning tour.
August 10: Tennessee Williams Tribute Performance: Streetcar and Beyond
Take in a performance from TWSTL company members, Opera Theatre of St. Louis performers, and friends of the festival.
