About the Author

Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) is the acclaimed author of many books of letters, short stories, poems, essays, and a large collection of plays, including The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Camino Real, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending, The Night of the Iguana, and The Rose Tattoo.

Reviews

"In Streetcar Williams found images and rhythms that are still part of the way we think and feel and move." -- Jack Kroll - Newsweek "Lyrical and poetic and human and heartbreaking and memorable and funny." -- Francis Ford Coppola "The introductions, by playwrights as illustrious as Williams himself, are the gem of these new editions." -- Ken Furtado - Echo Magazine "Blanche is the Everest of modern American drama, a peak of psychological complexity and emotional range." -- John Lahr - The New Yorker

"In Streetcar Williams found images and rhythms that are still part of the way we think and feel and move." -- Jack Kroll - Newsweek "Lyrical and poetic and human and heartbreaking and memorable and funny." -- Francis Ford Coppola "The introductions, by playwrights as illustrious as Williams himself, are the gem of these new editions." -- Ken Furtado - Echo Magazine "Blanche is the Everest of modern American drama, a peak of psychological complexity and emotional range." -- John Lahr - The New Yorker

Williams's classic play begins with Blanche DuBois's arrival in New Orleans to stay with her sister and brother-in-law, Stella and Stanley Kowalski. The determinedly genteel Blanche is shocked by their lower-class lifestyle--and by Stanley's frequently aggressive behavior. As Blanche's secrets catch up with her, a seedy reality trumps her love for romance. Rosemary Harris embodies Blanche with all the flare, attitude and Southern drawl commonly associated with the cultural icon. The role of Stanley is so physical that his presence is diminished by the lack of a visual performance, but James Farentino's Stanley is excellent. The overall production quality is excellent with musical segues and sound effects that enhance without distracting the listeners. This recording captures the cast of the 1973 Broadway revival (which won Harris a Drama Desk award and Farentino a Theatre World award). (Feb.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.