Cromer's Streetcar

David Cromer has gained a huge amount of attention lately, and much of it is deserved. He takes mid-twentieth century plays and turns them into some of the most relevant and naturalistic plays I have ever seen. He infuses new elements but makes the meaning of play clearer than it ever was. A good example of this is his production of Our Town that I saw in New York. Throughout the play all the characters wear modern clothes and pantomime everything and use very little to no scenery. But in the third act when Emily implores the stage manager to relive her 12th birthday the stage manager pulls back a curtain at the back of the stage and reveals an incredibly detailed set. At one point Emily's mother starts cooking bacon and you can actually smell it wafting across the theatre. By the time they are pulling back the curtain you don't want them to because there's just so much to look at. He truelly puts you in Emily's shoes and shows you how much of life we take for granted. That production is one of the best I've even experienced.
But now Cromer has stage a production of Tennesse Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, and while not as innovative it's still beautifully done. Cromer has actually knocked out the first several rows of seating in the theatre and filled the space to the brim with the set. You feel almost as if you are actually in the apartment. You really feel that this is an apartment meant for two people, and after Blanche moves in you can palpably feel the tension rise as these dichotomous personalities clash. One scene of the play that really stood out to me was the scene between Blanche and Mitch after they returned from their date. It's done in almost pitch black and you can really feel the intimacy of the moment. Natasha Lowe delivers a brilliant Blanche, one that's a little more agressive than you might be used to but because of that it delivers the play much greater passion and fire than what Vivian Leigh gave us. Everything in the show is so wonderfully underplayed that moments such as Stantly screaming "Stellaaa!!!" become startling and exciting, which is only magnified by your proximity to the action. I strongly advize everyone to go see Streetcar down at Writers Theatre.