A Streetcar Named Desire

 A Streetcar Named Desire
Almeida Theatre
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Harvey Theater
March 15, 2025 

Photo courtesy of Almeida Theatre
& Brooklyn Academy of Music

The Almeida Theatre production of A Streetcar Named Desire, now playing at BAM’s Harvey Theater, is a stark and daring interpretation of this Tennessee Williams classic.  To put a new stamp on such a well-known piece of theatre is no small undertaking, and director Rebecca Frecknall has skillfully succeeded.  She gathered a powerful cast with the courage to boldly make their mark on these iconic characters.  It is an emotionally driven experience.  

When Blanche (played by Patsy Ferran) visits her sister, Stella (played by Anjana Vasan) in New Orleans, she meets her brother-in-law, Stanley (played by Paul Mescal) for the first time.  They are immediately at odds.  Blanche is demure and from the old South, while Stanley is a blue-collar worker who bowls on the weekend.  Blanche breaks the news to Stella that they lost Belle Reve, their family estate.  Stanley suspects Balance of hoarding money from the sale of Belle Reve, so he starts asking around about her.  She had to leave Laurel, Mississippi when she was dismissed from her job teaching English at the local high school.  When Balance starts keeping company with Stanley’s friend, Mitch (played by understudy Eduardo Ackerman), there is hope for a fresh start for Blanche in New Orleans.  When Stanley reveals the scandalous secrets he uncovers about Blanche, any hope for her is lost. 

Paul Mescal, Patsy Ferran, & Anjana Vasan
Photo courtesy of Almeida Theatre
& Brooklyn Academy of Music

Patsy Ferran portrays Blanche as strong and determined.  This bold portrayal allows Blanche’s lies to be fully transparent.  Her vulnerable moments are truthful and empathetic.  Anjana Vasan’s Stella is an equal force to Ms. Ferran’s Blanche.  They go head-to-head a number of times, and always seem to meet on mutual territory.  Paul Mescal’s Stanley is grounded and secure.  Sparks fly the moment he and Blanche set eyes on one another.  The battle between them over Stella is clear and visceral.  Blanche strongly pushes back against Stanely, and neither of them back down.  Due to the way Stella responds to Stanley’s uncovering the truth about Blanche, the stakes are raised to a brilliant height.  These three actors create strong-minded characters, urgently driven and strikingly resolute.

Photo courtesy of Almeida Theatre 
& Brooklyn Academy of Music 

Tennessee Williams’ timeless writing shines with newness through the lens of this production.  Ms. Frecknall brings the deeper motivations to the surface, allowing the richness of the text to vibrantly ring.  The ghosts of Blanche’s past that haunt her every move are literally seen throughout the production.  They erode her confidence and ensnare her in her own fantasy world.

A Streetcar Named Desire is playing at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater through April 6.  Get a ticket!

Domenick Danza

Hamlet

 Hamlet
Park Avenue Armory
Almeida Theatre Production
July 2, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

The North American premier of Director Robert Icke’s Hamlet is now playing at the Park Avenue Armory.  It has a running time of three hours and forty minutes, with two intermissions.  The actors take their time with Shakespeare’s rich text and gently rhythms, uncovering lavish subtext.  Mr. Icke places the story in present day Denmark, using modern technology to progress the action, allowing the characters to be relevant and identifiable.  

Prince Hamlet of Denmark (played by Alex Lawther) is in grief over the death of his father, King Hamlet, and the quick and untimely marriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude (played by Jennifer Ehle), to his uncle, Claudius (played by Angus Wright).  Hamlet’s friend, Horatio (played by Joshua Higgott), tells him that the ghost of King Hamlet (played by David Rintoul) appeared during the night watch.  Hamlet joins Horatio, Marcellus (played by Michael Abubakar), and Bernardo (played by Hara Yannas) to watch for the ghost’s return.  When it appears, the ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius, and Hamlet must take revenge.  Hamlet does not reveal this information to anyone, so these thoughts consume him.  His behavior becomes erratic and unpredictable.  He lashes out at his beloved Ophelia (played by Kristy Rider).  When Claudius suspects that Hamlet knows the truth, he commands Hamlet’s old school friends, Rosencrantz (played by Calum Finlay) and Guildenstern (played by understudy Lise Bruneau) to accompany Hamlet to England.  They unknowingly carry a letter from Claudius to the King of England to have Hamlet killed.  Hamlet escapes, only to return to Denmark on the day of Ophelia’s burial.  Her brother, Laertes (played by Luke Treadaway) wants revenge on Hamlet for the death of Ophelia and his father, Polonius (played by Peter Wight).  The plan Claudius makes with Laertes to cause the death of Hamlet goes awry, causing the death of Gertrude.  Hamlet finally achieves vengeance for his father’s murder, but does not live to tell the tale. 

Jennifer Ehle & Alex Lawler
Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

This cast is brilliant.  Every performance is precise and clear, projecting throughout the expansive Park Avenue Armory space.  Alex Lawther portrays Hamlet as a meek and gentle man who is apprehensive about his power, his grief, and his rage.  There are explosive moments, followed by emotional retreats and deep uncertainty.  This dichotomy is potent, and clearly illustrates Shakespeare’s intent, which was way before Freud and any understanding of this kind of psychological characterization. 

Angus Wright has a strong and domineering presence as Claudius, fully taking charge of every element of his rule, including Hamlet’s fate.  Jennifer Ehle’s Gertrude is joyous in her new marriage, truly unaware of Claudius’ tyrannical betrayal.  Prominently depicted in this production is a territory conflict between Norway and Denmark, started by King Hamlet.  This frames the level of power that Claudius is hungry to achieve.  Hamlet’s death brings peace and resolution to Denmark’s on-going conflict with Norway, making him a honored and remembered international figure.    

Calum Finlay, Alex Lawther, & Tia Bannon
Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

The interpretation of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is refreshing.  There is conflict between the two characters as Guildenstern is loyal to Hamlet and genuinely concerned about his well-being.  Rosencrantz’s loyalties lie more on achieving Claudius’ directives.  Calum Finlay and Lise Bruneau beautifully play these characters, enacting these distinct objectives and earnest concerns.  It drive their scenes and creates an unsettling effect when we hear about their outcome.

The final scene is magnificently directed.  Most of the dialogue is cut, and the duel is staged as a fencing tournament.  One by one the characters are poisoned, with close-ups provided by video projections.  They exit to heaven and are met by King Hamlet and the other deceased characters.  There is a visceral sense of forgiveness and mercy, creating compassion and forward movement.  This illuminates Shakespeare’s well-known final line of this play. 

Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

If you are a Shakespeare or Hamlet enthusiast you must see this production.  The interpretation is enthralling.  The performances are superb.  Hamlet is playing at the Park Avenue Armory in rep with Aeschylus’ Oresteia through August 13.  Both productions are in association with the Almeida Theatre in London.  The production of Oresteia is sure to be equally engaging. 

Domenick Danza

Ghosts

Ghosts

Almeida Theatre and Sonia Freidman Productions

BAM Harvey Theatre

April 18, 2015

Photo courtesy of BAM Harvey Theatre,
Almeida Theatre & Sonia Freidman Productions

Ahh… Ibsen’s women.  There is no doubt that we can include Helene Alving from Ghosts in that specific category of female characters, alongside Hedda Gabbler and Nora Helmer (A Doll’s House), who risk their wealth and reputation by defying the strict social norm.  There is, however, a certain plunge that Mrs. Alving takes that seems deeper.  Perhaps it is the years of deceit that she has contributed to that makes her more equal to the men at the start of the play.  Perhaps it is how every choice she has made is purposefully decided so to prevent her husband’s sins from affecting her son.  Any way you look at it, the Almeida Theatre and Sonia Freidman Productions’ Ghosts, adapted and directed by Richard Eyre, makes a resilient statement on the inevitability of the ghosts of our past overwhelming our future.

Charlene McKenna and Lesley Manville in Ghosts
Photo courtesy of BAM Harvey Theatre,
Almeida Theatre & Sonia Freidman Productions

When the orphanage Helen Alving (Lesley Manville) donated in honor of her deceased husband is near completion, she reveals the truth about his drinking and womanizing to Pastor Manders (Will Keen).  The intrigue intensifies as they discuss their suppressed, deeper feelings for one another.  Pastor Manders speaks firmly about how the laws of society and the laws of God need to be more than merely perceived as followed.  This theme is put into conflict when juxtaposed against the kept secrets and reality of the characters’ truths.  Helene’s son, Oswald (Billy Howie), returns from Paris and flirts with their housekeeper Regina (Charlene McKenna).  Helene’s statement about how she is more afraid of the ghosts of her past than the retribution of laws of God is brought into a clear focus when she admits that Regina is the illegitimate daughter of her husband, and therefore Oswald’s half-sister.  The plot thickens in complexity, without being soap opera-ish, as only Ibsen can skillfully pull off (fires, blindness from venereal disease, and of course, what Ibsen play is complete without complications due to insurance matters).  The play left me speechless and in awe of concerted storytelling, an effective adaptation, sharp directing, and amazing acting.

Photo courtesy of BAM Harvey Theatre,
Almeida Theatre & Sonia Freidman Productions

The set, designed by Tim Hatley, is unique and simple.  In the foreground is the sitting room.   Through an opaque backdrop the audience is able to see the dining room.  Through another opaque backdrop more upstage, is the exterior of the house.  The design offered a view of each room simultaneously.  The audience sees what goes on behind closed doors, where secrets are kept, unintended for other characters to see or hear.  It also creates a sense of haunting when lit by lamplight.  Peter Mimford’s amazing lighting design sets a mellow and evocative mood, as well as creates a strong sense of the time period, before electric light.

Will Keen, Billy Howie, & Lesley Manville in Ghosts
Photo courtesy of BAM Harey Theatre, Almeida Theatre & Sonia Freidman Productions

When I took my seat and read in the program that the play was 90 minutes without intermission, I was surprised and did not know what to expect.  The Ibsen play is three acts, still this adaptation remarkably tells the penetrating story shadowed with years of remorse and secrets in a concentrated amount of time with a spectacular cast of five.  Kudos to Richard Eyre.  The production is here from London and runs at BAM Harvey Theatre through May 3.  Don’t miss it!

Domenick Danza