Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire

One of the most important plays of the twentieth century, A Streetcar Named Desire revolutionised the modern stage. This book offers the first continuous history of the play in production from 1947 to 1998 with an emphasis on the collaborative achievement of Tennessee Williams, Elia Kazan, and Jo Mielziner in the Broadway premiere. From there chapters survey major national premieres by the world’s leading directors including those by Seki Sano (Mexico), Luchino Visconti (Italy), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), Jean Cocteau (France ) and Laurence Olivier (England). Philip Kolin also evaluates key English-language revivals and assesses how the script evolved and adapted to cultural changes. Interpretations by Black and gay theatre companies also receive analyses and transformations into other media, such as ballet, film, television, and opera (premiered in 1998) form an important part of the overall study.

• Covers major productions from the beginning, in 1947, to 1998 • Explores Streetcar in other media: film, television, teleplay and the recent opera (1998) • Discusses in detail alternative productions by Black and gay theatre companies

List of illustrations; General preface; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. A Streetcar Named Desire - The Broadway premiere and beyond; 2. Streetcar on the world stage: the national premieres, 1948–1953; 3. Streetcar revivals on the English-language stage; 4. Recasting the players: expanding and radicalizing the Streetcar script; 5. Streetcar in other media; Selective production chronology; Notes; Selective bibliography of criticism of Streetcar; Index.

‘[A] marvellous investigation of Williams’ most famous play in production, fully attentive to design, music and acting.’ Plays International

‘It’s probably a good bet that [Williams] would have enjoyed reading Kolin’s entertaining and informative fifty-year record of his dramatic masterpiece.’ World Literature Today

‘Written in an engaging style, this book is a vital addition to the history of American theatre and to the study of Tennessee Williams.’ Southern Theatre

‘Kolin’s passionate attachment to the playwright frankly infuses his commentary … anyone who picks up his book will learn something new from this well written, entertaining and accessible mixture of theatre history, dramatic criticism, and cultural analysis.’ American Drama

‘Kolin’s argument is most convincing regarding Streetcar’s ‘sustaining power and protean magic’, for he sophicatedly analyzes a wealth of Streetcar productions, revisions, revivals and ‘radicalizations’ since its 1947 debut.’ Theatre History Studies