Powerhouse leads drive Redhouse’s ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ into new territory (review)

Marlon Brando is the elephant in the room. Any theater company tackling “A Streetcar Named Desire” knows that the actor playing Stanley Kowalski, the brutish male lead of the 1947 Tennessee Williams drama, will be hog-tied by the inevitable comparison to Brando, who exploded onstage originating the role and became even bigger after starring in the 1954 film of the same name. Over seventy years after its debut on Broadway, it remains one of the top ten plays of all time.

The Redhouse production of “Streetcar,” directed by Redhouse Artistic Director Temar Underwood, solves that problem with a one-two-three punch: three leads whose onstage relationships with each other subtly distribute the weight of that elephant, turning unspoken pressure into visible power. Add diverse casting for a fresh interpretation, and this steamy, sexy “Streetcar” speeds along, making its three-hour runtime feel like no time at all.