North Central College’s theatre department recently put on a performance of Tennessee Williams’ play, “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
Directed by guest director Jason Gerace, the show ran for five sold-out performances, from October 8 to October 11 in the Madden Theatre at the Fine Arts Center. The performance was enhanced by the intimate setting of the theater, as well as realistic set production that the actors were able to move about effortlessly.
The production also consisted of a small, extremely talented cast, which was able to display the range of emotion that this play requires.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” tells the story of Blanche DuBois, portrayed by senior theatre and speech communication major, Colleen DeRosa, coming to live with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley, portrayed respectively by senior musical theatre major Samantha Hess and junior theatre major Jack Morsovillo. The play focuses on the conflicting personalities, views and experiences of the characters, and the emotional struggle that manifests between sisters Blanche and Stella.
Each member of the cast took special care to not only uncover their own character’s motivations, but payed close attention to how their characters fit into the rest of the production.
“Blanche is at the end of her line, but she still goes to extremes to preserve whatever she has left,” says junior Nicole Borowski, who played Eunice. “Stanley and Stella, on the other hand, are in the beginning of their lives together, yet each one of them takes measures to keep alive the worlds they have constructed for themselves.”
The process that leads up to opening night of any play is crucial, and for the “Streetcar” cast this was no different.
“The most rewarding part of being in this play was the opportunity to work with such a smart, dedicated team of fellow actors and designers and an insightful Chicago director,” says DeRosa.
“The first few days of rehearsal we all sat at a table with the director and dug into the thematic elements of the play,” says DeRosa. “It was a great space to ask questions and address why each character does what they do.”
Through this process, the cast got to know not only their characters, but also each other.
Not only did the cast find the play itself to be challenging, but it grew to be a learning experience for each member.
“I knew of, and casually mingle with, the theatre department, but seeing how these people think and work was so great,” Borowski says. “You learn so much about the world and yourself when you spend time with other people.”
The time and care that the cast put into creating the world of “Streetcar” on the stage of Madden Theatre was certainly noted by the audience.
“I believe that this play does a beautiful job of showcasing what we will do as people to preserve our world and our own health,” says Borowski. “The play has heavy themes of sex and violence, and I’d hope that audiences would leave understanding the toxicity of the circle of abuse.”
“I hope our audiences were able to step into the world of the play and see how far a person will go to seek what they think they deserve,” says DeRosa.
