Madison Dodd and Christie Burbank Photo courtesy of Albuquerque Little Theatre

A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, was first produced in 1947 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama the following year. One of the most admired plays of its time, Streetcar explores the themes of sexuality, madness and violence. It concerns the mental and moral disintegration and ultimate ruin of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle. Her neurotic, genteel pretensions are no match for the harsh realities symbolized by her brutish brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski.

Tennessee Williams writes in a Southern gothic style that is characterized by grotesque, macabre and fantastic images. Many critics believe that Williams nearly invented the idea of desire for the 20th century. The power of sexual desire is the engine propelling A Streetcar Named Desire. Overall, the play shows the downfalls of not expressing sexuality. Tennessee Williams was a gay man who knew the frustration of living in a time period that demanded his sexuality be repressed. Through the play, he communicates the price individuals pay for expressing their desires. Blanche stands in for Tennessee; both are trying to hide their sexuality.

Theresa A Carson's direction of the production is competent and tight. It never lags; the action is brisk without being frenetic. The cast she are all capable and mostly believable. Ms. Carson has excelled in bookending the scenes of the play with Southern blues songs of the period. These songs are presented on the lip of the stage by Deborah Schoenbaum, an older Black woman, in a lethargic and sweaty, even sometimes slightly naughty, vein. She is terrific and the songs give the audience a chance to pause and reflect on the action of the play.

Where this makes the audience comfortable, it may break the build of the action, and the sexual tension Streetcar needs. A mixed blessing, but perhaps a nod to the sensibilities of today's world. The music brings the show together with humor and truth, but a build to sexual violence is sacrificed. The play should still shock.

The three main characters are played by seasoned professionals. Christy Burbank hits all the right notes as Stella Kowalski, the somewhat befuddled sister and loving wife. Timothy Dougherty as her husband Stanley is underplayed. He is neither as menacing nor as manipulative as he needs to be. Still, his physical presence is absolutely right. But it is Madison Dodd as Blanche DuBois who nearly steals the show. Her handling of the many lines of the play, many of them poetry, is outstanding. Her physicality captures Blanche's flirtatiousness and her helplessness. Her descent into madness is subtle and believable. The rest of the cast capture the melting pot of New Orleans well. Timothy Chivalette is another standout as Mitch.

Ryan Jason Cooke has designed a complex set that works well for the action. The lighting by ReyRey Griego complements the set and the actors. The changing sun down and sun up lighting of the sky is particularly effective. There were times at the performance I attended when some of the lighting did not mirror the mood of the action. Properties are adequate if a bit overdone. All those suitcases and trunks bumping around is distracting.

Costumes by Kate Sweetster are appropriate for all the characters. The clothes for Blanche could have progressed to be more revealing during the play, and perhaps more disheveled. Stanley's red silk pajamas are distracting and wrong for this man's man.

The Albuquerque Little Theatre's production of A Streetcar Named Desire is very well produced, acted, designed and directed. Theresa A Carson and her company are to be congratulated on bringing a classic of the American theatre beautifully to life.

A Streetcar Named Desire runs through March 23, 2025, at Albuquerque Little Theatre, 224 San Pasquale Ave SW, Albuquerque NM. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm. General Admission is $35, Discount Admission is $32. For tickets and information, please visit www.AlbluquerqueLittleTheatre.org or call 505-242-4750