“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” states Blanche DuBois, the wilting Southern Belle at the center of Tennessee Williams' classic play A Streetcar Named Desire. This now-famous phrase underlines many of the tragic elements at the core of Streetcar, spoken this time around by actress Gillian Anderson, while Vanessa Kirby fills in the role of Blanche's long-suffering sister Stella, and Ben Foster stars as Stella's aggressive husband Stanley Kowalski. This remarkable cast brings to life the denizens of Williams’ dreary drama, broadcast from London’s Young Vic Theatre directly to Irvine via National Theater Live. Despite the distance, director Benedict Andrews’ onstage adaptation seems just as present and stunning, as if the characters were breathing their descent into madness and anguish right in your face.
Wed., Oct. 22, 7:15 p.m., 2014
Aimee Murillo is calendar editor and frequently covers film and previously contributed to the OCW’s long-running fashion column, Trendzilla. Don’t ask her what her favorite movie is unless you want to hear her lengthy defense of Showgirls.