ENDSTATION SEHNSUCHT

About the show

Like a creature from another world, the capricious Southern belle Blanche bursts into the impoverished but somewhat happy life of her pregnant sister Stella and her Polish-American husband Stanley. Allegedly coming only for a short visit to New Orleans, having taken the streetcar to the final stop "Longing," her life gradually falls apart: the family estate, aptly named "Belle Rêve," is lost, and dark secrets from the past threaten to destroy her last chance at a happy life with the dependable Mitch. In close quarters, those cheated by life collide, and hatred and sexual tensions erupt in catastrophe. This play, frequently performed since its premiere in 1947, not only addresses the then-prevalent transition from the old Southern aristocracy to the new, ruthlessly capitalist America. A Streetcar Named Desire offers a timeless perspective on relationships poisoned by the dictates of economics and questions the value of people who have nothing to offer but their boundless lust for life. Director Annette Pullen stages Williams' classic as the paradox of a vibrant tragedy between hot and cold.