Review: Gamm Theatre Kicks off the 2015-2016 Season with a Stunning A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is one of those plays that is so ubiquitous it's almost become a cliche. Like one-liners from Casablanca or references to Citizen Kane, we become so used to the shorthand, it's almost easy to forget the masterpiece that embedded those lines and images into everyone's brain. That's why it's refreshing and borderline surprising to be reminded of exactly why certain works become classic. Through the near-flawless execution of this masterpiece, The Gamm takes us back to 1947 and the heartbreak in The French Quarter.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is a complicated and highly atmospheric play in which the setting of New Orleans is almost an extra character. The Gamm uses live music to set the mood, and has created a set that is picture perfect New Orleans with floor-to-ceiling green and yellow shutters. One can almost feel the sultry humidity of the French Quarter as we meet Stella and Stanley Kowalski and Blanche DuBois in the cramped apartment off Elysian Fields.

The tension of this production rests on the shoulders of Blanche and Stanley, and Anthony Goes is perfectly cast as Stanley. He's sweaty and boorish--an obvious lower class contrast to Blanche's delicate fine breeding, but also someone who has the upper hand due to physical size and fits of rage. Goes almost vibrates on stage with the barely contained threat of malice, but when it comes to him and Stella, it becomes incredibly obvious to the audience why she goes back over and over. For her, the threat of violence is exciting; for Blanche, it's something she cannot control that pushes her ever closer to the brink. Stanley could seem almost cartoonish in his masculinity, but Goes reins it in, even when screaming "Stella!" and delivers a performance that is captivating, chilling and enthralling.

Marianna Bassham's Blanche is a perfect counterpart to Goes's Stanley. Tall and slight, she conveys a physical fragility that is heightened by her nervous expressions, hand-wringing and startled reactions to Stanley's loud and aggressive demeanor. But there's a hardness to Blanche as well, and this aspect of her complex character is where Bassham truly becomes Blanche. She comes off as almost standoffish at times, unable to let herself be taken care of even though that's seemingly exactly what she wants and needs. Even in the scenes where she is desperate to get a proposal from Mitch, played by Steve Kidd, one gets the very strong impression that though she may play at being coquettish at times, she's only doing what she thinks she needs to do to survive, and she's half talking herself out of it even in the moment. Bassham is able to tap directly into Blanche's heartbreak and project that subtly to the audience. Everything Blanche ever wanted is already gone, and though she is hard to love and sympathize with, she will absolutely break your heart.

Bassham's and Goes's performance need a counterbalance and Karen Carpenter delivers that in her portrayal of Stella. Stella has the burden of acting as the go-between of Stanley and Blanche. It's a thankless role trying to calm two tempests at once, but Carpenter maintains a grace and level-headedness that speaks volumes about her relationships with Stanley and Stella without having to belabor the point. In the end, when Blanche is taken away, only then does Stella break down. It's shocking to see such emotion from someone who was always so measured and diplomatic, and Carpenter's delivery of this moment is the final emotional gut punch that pushes the audience into submission.

It's rare to sit in a chair for nearly three hours and have that time go by in a blink. Despite the emotional toll this play takes on the viewer, it is absolutely worth seeking out. It's a play everyone should see at least once, and this production is exceptional.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is at The Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre, located at 172 Exchange St, Pawtucket RI through October 18th.

Show times are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are $41 and $49, depending on the day/time. For tickets, call the box office at 401-723-4266 or visit the company's website at gammtheatre.org.

Pictured (L to R) Marianna Bassham, Anthony Goes

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