A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE IS WORTH IT

Poster, credit: National Theatre Live website

Finally gathered my thoughts in order, I think, after watching National Theatre Live's (in partnership with the Cultural Centre of the Philippines) A Streetcar Named Desire with Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois, Vanessa Kirby as Stella Kowalski, and Ben Foster as Stanley Kowalski on Tuesday, 24 June at Glorietta 4. For full disclosure, yes I watched because Gillian. I heard the others discussing the characters and story; probably students.

I never watched the film - we have a VCD of it because my mum likes Marlon Brando - nor have I read the book. I came in armed with the knowledge of what I read in Wikipedia. I do know that I want to see this because, again, Gillian. And we rarely get to see plays or musicals filmed and released in theatres. I didn't know that:

1. CCP is partnered with NTL;
2. NTL released this particular play during the pandemic in their YouTube channel; and
3. I always see Fleabag - which I also love and got to watch during the pandemic - "getting the love" here.

Anyway, before I profess my love for Gillian, I got to give kudos to the set designers and props people. It's a very simple yet effective setting for the play which takes place in Stella's apartment. It's a rotating platform with a few pieces, no "walls". Just two doors and foundations. The actors themselves actually changed a few things here and there in between scenes. The props department would only help during the big scene changes.

The costumes, though more modern than the original, are wonderful especially for Blanche's, who has exquisite taste in clothes. One of her costumes, a pink glittery dress with tulle skirt, reminds me of my own ballet costume for one of my recitals (Valse Classique, Sleeping Beauty) almost to the tiniest sequin. The costumes also help describe each character: Blanche as a very fashionable, Stella as sort of plain and content with how she looks, and Stanley as rough and tough, Alpha male.

One of the first pictures of Gillian I saw way back then, credit: National Theatre Live website

The acting is magnificent! The movements, how the actors tell each characters stories are incredible.

1. I only know Vanessa as the White Widow in the Mission Impossible films (and now in the upcoming umpteenth Fantastic Four revival as Sue Storm) but she is wonderful! Though at times her natural accent appears - all the actors put on a Southern American twang...think cowboys, she pulled through with it. Whilst Gillian is the main character, Vanessa holds most of the emotions and she does so wonderfully.

2. Ben is great at playing Alpha males. Even when he played Angel in X-Men 3, Angel who had a screen time the same as a child's attention span, you saw him as an anti-hero of sorts. In his portrayal of Stanley, you literally want to jump out and bang his head on the wall or strangle him. Hahaha! He is effective on how he conveys Stanley's outdated principles on how to treat people, possibly because he grew up in an environment with "traditional outlooks".

3. Now Gillian. She's my "bias" here, for the Gen Z peeps, having loved her since high school (dang The Mighty for establishing my outlook of how she is as an actress after seeing Fight the Future). For me, this is the defining role for her. Not Scully, not Stella. Blanche. This is why I love Gillian Anderson. All of the actors here, you will not see what you see of them in red carpets, in interviews, etc. Gillian immersed herself in Blanche, oftentimes I think dangerously that you think wow! this must be who she really is. Sometimes, you just want to tell Blanche that it's okay and just hug her. People may have wronged you but be strong because your sister is your world, even is she is headstrong when it comes to love.

Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois, credit: National Theatre Live website

Watching Streetcar is truly worth it for me: had to leave work early (filed for half day), commute for about an hour or so (luckily it was a holiday in Manila so not much traffic) by FX and train because it was in Makati (and I live and work in Quezon City), and go home at an unusual hour (again, about an hour by train and e-jeep). All worth it! Now, I wonder if All About Eve will be released. 😊 Yes, it's also Gillian.