A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983). Opened on Broadway December 1947 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, starring Jessica Tandy as Blanche and Marlon Brando as Stanley. Won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. Published by New American Library, 1947.
The 1951 film with Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando made it world famous. *
Contents
The original text
Translations and adaptations
Die Trem se Naam: Begeerte, an Afrikaans translation of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire
An Africanised version set in Soweto, devised by Lara Foot-Newton in 2002.
Performance history in South Africa
In 1951 a West End production of the play, starring Bette Ann Davis (??**) and William Sylvester, visited South Africa. The first South African production was **
Presented by Pieter Toerien and Shirley Firth opening 12 August 1975 at the Intimate Theatre, Johannesburg starring Anne Rogers and Michael McGovern.
The Africanised version set in Soweto was staged at the Grahamstown Festival in 2002, directed by Lara Foot-Newton with Moshidi Motshegwa (Blanche DuBois), Vusi Kunene (Stanley Kowalski), Sello Sebotsane, Lindiwe Chibi, Coco Merckel, Dudu Yende, Ramolao Makhene and Michelle Maxwell on the piano. The same production was subsequently staged in the Wits Theatre Complex.
Performed by Carnivals of the Heart in the Arena Theatre at Artscape, 10 to 18 January 2014, directed by Darryl Spijkers, with choreography by Verne Osmand, sets by Zanodean Cassiem, costumes by Noel Pitout and lighting by Ramsay Lotter.
Bobby Heaney directed Die Trem se Naam: Begeerte, an Afrikaans translation of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marius Weyers, Brümilda van Rensburg, Elize Cawood for PACT in May 1985.
Sources
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