Auditions for "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Register to audition by Friday, September 26 for Tennessee Williams' classic drama "A Streetcar Named Desire," directed by Christina Gutierrez-Dennehy.

Auditions for "A Streetcar Named Desire" are Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in PA 399 - the rehearsal space adjacent to the Theatre and Dance office in the Performing Arts Center.

About the play

Arthur Miller wrote of Streetcar that “what it did was to plant the flag of beauty on the shores of the commercial theatre…[it has] an intelligence and spiritual vitality. For the play, more than any of Williams’ other work, approaches tragedy and its dark ending is unmitigated. […] Streetcar at the hour of its birth echoed the fate of the outsider in American society and raised the question of justice. But it did so from the inside out.”

In Streetcar, Tennessee Williams shows us the desperation of characters trying to recognize the world in which they find themselves, and their terror at feeling they do not belong. At its core, the play is about deeply flawed characters who use any and all tactics at their disposal to satisfy their deeply human desire for connection, recognition, and belonging.

Blanche DuBois arrives at the New Orleans home of her sister, Stella. She brings with her a number of dark secrets that threaten her relationship with Stella and her very sanity, and which bring her into direct conflict with Stella’s husband, Stanley. The conflict between Blanche and Stanley escalates quickly, bringing out the worst in both and trapping Stella in the impossible struggle between them. The violence at the heart of Stanley’s reactions to Blanche forces Stella to confront her own desires and to define herself apart from her sister or her husband.  
 

Character Breakdown

Eligibility and callbacks

Students who are cast in "Tartuffe" are ineligible to play Blanche, Stanley, or Stella, but may be considered for the other roles.

Only those auditionees being considered for the roles of Blanche, Stanley, Stella, and Mitch will be invited to callbacks on Sunday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those who audition and are not called back may still be cast in other roles.

Roles

Stella Kowalski

(female, 20s) A young woman full of passion and excitement for life. She is deeply in love with her husband, Stanley, although sometimes a bit frightened by the passion she feels for him. She comes from a wealthy family in Mississippi, but is happy with the working class life she lives with Stanley in New Orleans. She has always been a realist, particularly in her relationship with her sister Blanche, and prefers to find happiness in the world as it is, rather than as she wishes it might be. She is pregnant throughout the play. The actor playing Stella will have intimate contact with the actor playing Stanley (kisses, embraces, etc.), and must be comfortable with choreographed domestic violence (no more than a single slap and a push).

Blanche DuBois

(female, 20s) Stella’s sister, who at the start of the play is visiting the home of Stella and Stanley after being forced to leave the family’s plantation (under somewhat suspect circumstances). Blanche has undergone a significant trauma, and as a result is largely unable to face the harsh realities of the world she finds herself in. She is desperate for human connection and for security, and often romanticizes her circumstances as a way to escape the fear she feels at being alone and destitute. She fights for the attention of Stella, speaking often of rescuing her from life with Stanley. At her worst, she is delusional, cruel, and detached from reality. At her best, she is able to see the potential for beauty in the world, and to fight to bring about the reality she so desires. The actor playing Blanche must be comfortable with an implied (but not staged) sexual assault from Stanley, as well as choreographed physical violence (most likely a grab). She will also have intimate contact with the Newspaper Collector (one kiss). Blanch will also appear in only a slip (with appropriate stage undergarments) at various moments in the play, and may change clothing onstage (never wearing less than a slip).

Stanley Kowalski

(male, 20s) A hardworking man who loves his wife, Stella more than he has ever loved anyone else. His affection for her is often at odds with his crass, loud, and confidant behavior. He is a working-class man of his house, and very proud of the life he provides for Stella. He is a realist, and prefers to discuss things as they are, with particular attention to any injustices he perceives against him or his family. He has no qualms about his sexual desire for Stella, and enjoys the desire she feels for him. He is a heavy drinker, often using alcohol to mask any insecurities he feels. He uses his masculinity as a shield against a world that he—deep down—might not feel as if he belongs in. This often results in violent outbursts. He perceives Blanche as a threat to his stability with Stella, and he uses sex and desire as weapons in what he perceives to be a battle for Stella’s affection. The actor playing Stanley will have intimate contact with the actor playing Stella (kisses, embraces, etc.), and must be comfortable with choreographed domestic violence (no more than a single slap and a push). In addition, he must be comfortable with an implied (but not staged) sexual assault against Blanche, as well as choreographed physical violence (most likely a grab). Stanley also appears without a shirt in various moments of the play.

Harold Mitchell (Mitch)

(male, 20s) A shy, reserved friend of Stanley’s who often visits the Kowalski house for poker nights. He lives with his sick mother, and loves her dearly. Mitch is a lonely man, hungry for both physical and emotional intimacy like that he sees between Stella and Stanley, but he fears that his demeanor and physical appearance might prevent him from making meaningful connections. He begins a courtship with Blanche.

Eunice Hubbell

(female, 30s) Stella and Stanley’s upstairs neighbor. Enjoys neighborhood gossip and poking fun at her husband, Steve. Helps Stella when Stanley hurts her, and is appalled at the physical violence Stanley demonstrates. A keen observer and a realist.

Steve Hubbell

(male, 30s) Eunice’s husband and one of Stanley’s best friends. Crass and loud, but with a genuine affection for his wife (which comes across in his playful—and performative— criticisms of her). Looks up to Stanley and emulates his behavior—including his occasional violent outbursts. May double roles with the Newspaper Collector.

Pablo Gonzales

(male, 20s) A coworker of Stanley, Mitch, and Steve. Plays poker at Stanley’s house, and seems genuinely disturbed by the violence he witnesses there. May double roles with the Newspaper Collector.

Neighborhood Woman

(combining two of the roles in the original script) (female, open age) This actor will play both the neighborhood woman in the beginning of the play, and the flower seller at the end. In most versions of the script, Williams does not identify the ethnicity of these women (as he does in the version we will be working with), so casting here is open. This combined role will allow for two important cameo moments on stage. Will also double roles with the Nurse

Doctor

(male, 40s) The head doctor of the mental institution to which Blanche is committed at the end of the play. Brusque, businesslike, although not without compassion for his patients. May double roles with the Newspaper Collector

Nurse

(woman, 20s) A nurse from the mental institution to which Blanche is committed at the end of the play. Detached, businesslike, unsympathetic to Blanche’s struggles. Will double roles with the neighborhood woman.

Newspaper Collector

(male, 20s) visits the home of Stella and Stanley in one scene and meets Blanche, who, in the grip of a delusion, mistakes him for her deceased husband. Will have intimate contact (one kiss) with Blanche. 

Preparation for the audition

In preparation for your audition, please choose a 1-2 minute monologue from a mid-century American play, ideally written by Tennessee Williams (no monologues from "Streetcar," please). I am looking to see how you are able to handle the heightened language of Williams’ plays as you work to make strong choices about character and need/objective. You may also choose a monologue from a similar writer—i.e. Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill, etc.  Monologues should be memorized and performed with intent. 

Make sure to fill out the online form and sign up for an audition slot. Please note the rehearsal schedule of this play when you sign up. All conflicts must be listed. 

The deadline to sign up is Friday, 9/26 by 3 p.m. If you need to change your audition time, or if you missed the sign-up deadline, please email Production Manager Teylor Lowe link to email to see what options might be available to you. 

Content Disclosures

This play deals directly with issues of trauma, suicide, and domestic violence, and with the fallout of an implied (but unstaged) sexual assault. The Theatre & Dance Department is working directly with the WWU Title IX office, as well as with Survivor Advocacy Services to ensure the safety of all participants in the production. All moments of violence and intimacy will be choreographed by Rich Brown and Eva Gil, respectively, and will take into account any and all boundaries expressed by cast members. The safety of all involved is of paramount concern.

Intimacy Content

Intimacy will include:

• Affectionate moments (kisses, caresses, etc.) between Stanley and Stella
• Embraces between Stella and Blanche
• A single kiss between Blanche and the Newspaper Collector
• Minor intimate contact (hand holds, an embrace) between Blanche and Mitch
• The leadup to an unstaged sexual assault between Stanley and Blanche
• Moments in which Stanley is shirtless
• Moments in which Blanche wears only a slip and/or changes clothing on stage (never wearing less than a slip)

GPA Policy

In order to work on Department of Theatre and Dance, productions you must maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA. See GPA Requirement document for details.

Audition Form

Questions on this form include opportunities to share information about your identity, including gender, race and cultural background. Your answers help WWU prioritize authentic, appropriate casting as called for in each script. Please share only what you feel comfortable sharing.

Our department is committed to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices in all areas, including casting. Our goal is to create a casting process that is welcoming, absent of intimidation, and serves those auditioning as well as the creative team in the full exploration of the material in an environment of mutual trust.

In reference to the character descriptions – these are descriptions of the characters as identified in the script and in collaboration with the creative team. They are not meant to be exhaustive of who should play these roles and we seek to cast expansively and intentionally. We are striving to make our production and audition practices inclusive of performers of all races, ethnicities, national origins, gender expressions, body types, and abilities. We also recognize that these characters are written on the binary (use he/him or she/her pronouns) and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to submit for any roles they identify with.  We also welcome performers of all abilities and are prepared to provide any reasonable accommodations and resources needed in order to cast performers with disabilities.  (Thanks to the Actors Theatre of Louisville for their language and inspiration in this statement.)

Some questions on this form involve disclosing what you are comfortable with as a performer. Show-specific questions are below and you may also be given a longer, more detailed disclosure form to fill out the morning of auditions. You will be asked to return this form by the end of Audition Day.

Additionally, there are some resources made available here to inform you of Western Washington University’s procedures and protocols for moments of intimacy in our productions.

Audition Resources

Below are links to very useful Word documents which are resources to inform you of Western Washington University’s procedures and protocols for moments of intimacy in our productions.

• Production incident report
• WWU Actor Consent Form
• WWU Audition Disclosure Form
• WWU Intimacy and Instructional Touch Policy
• WWU Intimacy Protocols

Sign up to Audition by Friday, September 26 at 3 p.m.