A Streetcar Named Desire
By Carolyn Beaty
Close your eyes and picture a set designed by Warner Brothers, glittering costumes, precise hair and makeup, and hours of preparation including voice practice for the perfect New Orleans accent. Sound like a professional production of "A Streetcar Named Desire"? Not quite, but Eagle Rock's play production did a fantastic job of making it look professional. With Mr. Copley's expert and experienced guidance and the help of several professionals, "A Streetcar Named Desire" was put on with talent and tenacity.
The story begins when Blanche DuBois (Violet Ruiz) a southern belle and aristocrat-at-heart travels from Laurel, Mississippi to New Orelans, Louisiana to live with her sister, Stella Kowalski (Melissa Chan) and brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski (Siddhartha Calacuayo). Blanche has lost the family's old plantation home and what is left of her money and seeks refuge with the last family she has.
While in New Orleans, Blanche meets Mitch (Carlo Estella) and begins a romance with him. Unfortunately, Stanley concocts a plan to smear the reputation of the mildly unstable, but ultimately likeable Blanche. His plan succeeds, exposing Blanche's sordid past of promiscuity and an ex-husband who committed suicide, and Mitch is turned against her. In the climactic closing scene of the production, Blanche is taken to an insane asylum amid utter mayhem in the Kowalski house.
Violet Ruiz delivered an emotional and heart-rending performance as Blanche. Her highbrow portrayal and emphatic gestures completed and gave depth to an already complex character. Not to be overshadowed by Miss Blanche DuBois, both Siddhartha and Melissa gave fantastic performances as Stanley and Stella. Their onstage chemistry was incredible and Siddhartha's characterization of Stanley was reminiscent of Marlon Brando's portrayal in the 1951 movie adaptation of the play. Carlo Estella shines as a multi-faceted character that starts out meek and mild, but finishes passionately and violently. The authentic accents, though occasionally garbled, served to enhance the performances of these fine actors and actresses.
The supporting cast and musicians are not to be forgotten. Their performances gave the show a finished quality that tied together the raw emotion felt from the main characters. Elan Sadeh (bass), Ian Turner (piano), and Katie Ferrara (vocals) give the performance a feel of authenticity and style, while the dancers provide an intriguing aspect of the performance during the set changes.
After the show, the cast members took their final bows and wandered out of the backstage area to greet adoring fans. You could tell from the expressions on their faces that all participants in the show were emotionally and physically drained because each and every one put their heart and soul into this production. The cumulative effort of hours of work, from set design to make-up to costuming to rehearsing, all shone through in a brilliant performance. A person sitting behind me commented afterward that this was the best play they had ever seen at Eagle Rock High, and this reviewer would tend to agree. As the concluding line of the play states: "This game is seven-card stud."
