Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire

Mark Sam Rosenthal's one-person show Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire begins simply, with a man entering a space strewn with debris, and putting on gloves and a mask to begin to clean it up, while listening to "Don't Rain on My Parade" on his ipod. He finds a strangely pristine valise, and upon opening it discovers a magical blonde wig, which transforms him into Blanche DuBois, Tennessee Williams' iconic protagonist of A Streetcar Named Desire. Thus begins a fantastical jaunt through the horrors of Katrina and bureaucracy, as seen through the upper-class, frivolous, and racist eyes of a previous age.

Rosenthal nails the character to the wall in his writing, and, as Williams does, never lets Blanche's obliviousness to reality lose sympathy with the audience. His performance begins as a mere caricature, merely a man in a wig camping it up... though of course, one can infer that he's distracting himself from the horrors around him through magic, glamour, and Southern charm, just as Blanche does in Streetcar.

The pathos deepens as the play continues, as Blanche is evacuated to the Superdome, deals with FEMA, is assigned a roommate, does some crack offered by a kind stranger, gets a trailer to live in, and generally learns to cope with her new surroundings.

Rosenthal never speaks a word except as Blanche, though his channeling of her isn't an impersonation exactly- he wears the same purple tank-top and camouflage shorts throughout, his hairy chest on display. There is subtle Mardi Gras influence on the costume by Angelina Margolis (purple, green and a golden wig (wig design by J. Jared Janas and Rob Greene)) and the set by Kelly Tighe (beads are strewn about the stage), though I'm not sure why, other than as the opposite of a memento mori- a symbol of New Orleans in happier, more frivolous times.

Todd Parmley's direction helps keep the story moving along, and all the moments are clear. Lighting design by Sonia Baidya and sound by Scott Rosenthal and Bernard Fox help immeasurably as well.
It's an interesting and funny piece, and worth the time. The estate of Tennessee Williams has been threatening legal action to prevent this show from continuing, though I think Williams would have loved it.

Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire

The performance schedule is Thursday - Friday at 9; Saturday at 3/9PM; Sunday at 7PM.

The Soho Playhouse is located at 15 Vandam Street

Running time is 70 Minutes

Through March 15

 

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