"A Streetcar Named Desire" as a theatrical production
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NB Consider the theatrical requirements of the play and how a proscenium arch stage might accommodate those requirements.Set Design
How effective do you think
the set design is in moving the action of the play forward? Consider how the
actors move and interact with the set. The set design makes use of a certain
claustrophobia and ‘proxemics’ are very important – how effective do you think
this is and how does it support the story? There are fairly significant
scene changes that find the actors and crew moving about between to make these
changes happen. Think about how time and place is established in this play. How
effective is the set design in creating these environments? Does the set add or
detract from the performances? What works and what do you think could be done
differently? Setting
Set in a small flat
revealing co-habitation and a bathroom as central divide – does the set bring
about a feeling of claustrophobia and an almost unbearable closeness in the
living conditions – the immediate neighbours living above can be heard
throughout as well. The outside street scene opens the play to reveal Blanche
as well as finding her left out at the conclusion. How does the set work for
the dramatic journey? Why has the playwright chosen this setting for his play?
Is the setting relevant and what impact does it have in the telling of the
story? Do you think the play would work if it was set in a different time and
place? Streetcar Crescent Theatre production https://www.crescent-theatre.co.uk/theatre-event/?EventID=141931      PLASTIC
THEATRE What is Plastic Theatre?
Plastic
Theatre, is the use of props, noises and/or stage directions to convey a
blatant parallel with the characters states of mind on stage. Thus, the state
of Blanche’s mind, emotions, and memories converted into the stage setting.
Plastic Theatre is hence symbolic, non-realist, metaphorical theatre that uses
objects, musical underscoring, costumes, props and theatrical space to create
an experience for the audience that suggests poetic truths. This was one of the
earliest and most famous plays which represented the Plastic Theatre genre. This
genre of theatre arose from Expressionism. Rather than attempting to
create a vision of ‘reality’, Williams created a highly personalised vision
of the world that included distorted images symbolising inner psychological
states (shadows on the wall, gunshot) Significant
Elements of Plastic Theatre in ‘A Streetcar Named Desired: 1. The Varsouviana Polka This is the polka tune which often reminds Blanche of the last day she spent
with her young husband – Allen Grey. Earlier that day, she caught her husband’s
adultery with another man, and yet pretended that ‘nothing had happened’. In
the middle of the Varsouviana when Blanche told Allen of how he ‘disgusted’
her, he committed suicide. The polka music often arouses a sense of loss and regret for Blanche. The music
is first heard distantly in Scene 1 (Pg 15), when Stanley questions Blanche
about her husband. This reappears with the polka shifting to a minor key when
Blanche tells Mitch of the suicide of her husband (throughout Scene 6). This is
increasingly heard after then, as Blanche loses mental control. As the music
plays when Stanley gives Blanche the Greyhound ticket to return home in Scene
8, Williams depicts how the music foreshadows the imminent disaster for her.
When Blanche is discovered alone in Scene 9, the polka is rapid. The polka
draws upon the mental deterioration of Blanche, which was evoked by the suicide
of her husband. Williams thus uses the music to bring about Blanche’s loss of
the grip of truth and reality. 2. Blue piano The blues music enhances the dreamlike feeling in the play. The Blue piano
represents ‘the spirit of life’ (Pg 3) in the setting. This is prominent in the
first scene when Blanche recalls the unfortunate fate of Belle Reve, and in the
5th scene when she kisses the Young Man. The blue piano is the loudest when
Blanche is sent away to the asylum in the last scene. The blue piano shows the cyclical structure of the play, as the play starts and
ends with the same background music. This shows possibly that Blanche, just
like in the begging of the play, is alone and continues her unsettled journey
of life. The Blue piano not only gives the readers a sense of setting, but also
shows Blanche’s need for companionship. 3. Locomotives Stanley is associated with the power sounds of locomotives- modern, impressive,
and raw. In Scene 4 (Pg 40), when he secretly overheard the conversation of the
sisters’, there is a sound of the approaching train. When Blanche tells Mitch
of her marriage, she is harrowed by the memory of an oncoming locomotive (Pg
56). The start of the last phase of the movement towards the rape in Scene 10,
the locomotive sound grows louder. The locomotives represent Stanley, who brings Blanche’s downfall by unmasking
her truth. Hence, in every scene where the truth of Blanche is revealed through
Stanley, the locomotive sound is dominant. It sound may also be seen as a
symbol of Blanche’s desire to escape. 4. “It’s only paper moon!” This song is prominent in the 7th scene, when Stanley learns of Blanche’s
promiscuity. The louder Stanley insists on the undeniable facts about Blanche,
the louder she sings. The song’s lyrics describe the way love turns the world
into a “phony” fantasy. The song says that if both lovers believe in their
imagined reality, then it’s no longer “make-believe.” These lyrics sum up
Blanche’s approach to life. She believes that her lying is harmless, as she
tries to weave harmony with her lies. However, Blanche is just a sham who
pretends sexual innocence. 5. Shadows Light represents truth, which Blanche wishes to avoid by putting an artificial
lantern on the light bulb. Blanche is never in daylight, as she doesn’t wish
her lies to be revealed. When Blanche and Stanley fight in Scene 10, oddly
shaped shadows appear on the walls. The jungle cries enhance the sense of
madness of Blanche. These effects combine to heighten Blanche’s final
breakdown. Other
elements of the Plastic Theatre in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’: 6. Meat 7. Piano and clarinets 8. Oil painting in the Poker Night
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