BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Theatre will present Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7-10 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Alys Stephens Center Sirote Theatre, 1200 10th Ave. South.
The show will be directed by Dennis McLernon, M.F.A., associate professor. Tickets are $12 and $15; $6 for students; $10 for UAB employees and senior citizens. Call 205-975-2787 or visit the UAB Department of Theatre online at http://theatre.hum.uab.edu/.
Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is a classic exploration of faded gentility. Blanche du Bois, a woman whose life has been undermined by her romantic illusions, seeks the comfort of her sister in New Orleans after losing the family plantation to creditors. She instead collides with her sister's earthy, aggressive husband Stanley, forcing Blanche to confront her tragic self-delusion and, ultimately, her madness.
"Very often when a piece of literature reaches the level of iconic status in the popular culture that 'Streetcar' has achieved, it begins to become very easy to adopt assumptions about the work and miss compelling major themes," said McLernon. "The themes within Tennessee Williams' play and the humanity of the complex characters he has drawn are profoundly compelling and often overlooked.
"Our struggle to reconcile instinct and socialization creates conflicts within all of humanity that are profound and disturbing, and it often provokes in the individual self-denial, guilt and a crippling pressure to conform," he said. "Each of the main characters in 'Streetcar' is on a separate journey of self-exploration, struggling with this very personal issue, and each deals with it in their own flawed, but very human way."
The cast is Lindsay Allen as Blanche Dubois, Atom Bennett as Stanley Kowalski, Jessica Walston as Stella Kowalski, Daniel Martin as Mitch, Emily Parks as Eunice, Donald Martin as Steve, Brett Blaylock as Doctor/Street Ensemble, Josh Butler as Pablo/Street Ensemble, Mallorie Yance as Nurse/Street Ensemble, Jon McLernon as Young Collector/Street Ensemble, Zach Williams as Henry/Street Ensemble, and Natalie Kinsaul, Caila Lang and Elena Ray as members of the Street Ensemble.
About UAB
The UAB Department of Theatre has won the highest honors awarded to university theaters, including best in region from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). In 2008, UAB's production of "In the Blood," directed by Dennis McLernon, was one of three shows chosen by KCACTF from 300 in consideration nationwide. Faculty members in the department continue to work professionally in addition to teaching. UAB Theatre performances are presented at the Alys Stephens Center, UAB's own world-class performing arts center. Next year the department will celebrate its 40th anniversary.