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{{Short description|Fictional character in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire}}{{Use American English|date=May 2017}}{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}

factoids

Blanche DuBois (married name Grey) is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Streetcar Named Desire. The character was written for Tallulah Bankhead and made popular to later audiences with Elia Kazan's 1951 film adaptation of Williams' play; A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando.

Character overview

Blanche DuBois is described as an aging Southern belle who lives in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty and concerns about how others perceive her looks. She has an obsession with staying out of direct light, and even covers a light bulb with a paper lantern. She is desperate for attention and has a history of sexual promiscuity. She was formerly a teacher, who was fired for having an affair with one of her teenaged students.WEB,weblink Dirty Old Women, NYMag.com, May 18, 2006, October 28, 2014, WEB, March 15, 2008, Blanche DuBois: Chasing Magic, Fleeing the Dark,weblink April 24, 2014, NPR, Williams saw her as being 30 years of age.WEB, September 16, 2011, How old is Blanche DuBois?,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140424064834weblink">weblink April 24, 2014, April 24, 2014, Tampa Bay Times, Michael Kahn, former head of Julliard's drama program and an acquaintance of Williams, described Blanche as "a moth that is fluttering too near the flame," "searching for safety."

Portrayals

File:Vivien Leigh in Streetcar Named Desire trailer 2.jpg|thumb|left|Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire]]Blanche DuBois has been portrayed several times on stage and on screen. According to Kahn, "Every Blanche who played it that Tennessee saw, he would tell them that they were his favorite Blanche. Because each actress brought something different to the role than somebody else, and I think he liked that."Jessica Tandy received a Tony Award for her performance as Blanche in the original Broadway production. Uta Hagen took over the role of Blanche for the national tour, which was directed by Harold Clurman.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}Blanche was also portrayed by Vivien Leigh in the London stage production, which was directed by her then-husband Laurence Olivier, She reprised the role in the 1951 film adaptation. The film was directed by Elia Kazan, and Leigh won her second Academy Award for this performance.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}Tallulah Bankhead portrayed the role in 1956. Bankhead, a close friend of Williams, had been the inspiration for the role, and he wanted her to star in it. However, she was initially uninterested and the producer thought she would overpower the character's fragility. When she played the role in 1956, some critics agreed she was too strong in it, but Williams personally felt that she gave a "heroic" portrayal of the role.NEWS, Tennessee, Williams, Tennessee Williams,weblink A Tribute From Tennessee Williams To 'Heroic Tallulah Bankhead', The New York Times, March 4, 1956, February 21, 2023, Geraldine Page portrayed the role in 1976 at the once celebrated Academy Festival Theatre in Lake Forest, IllinoisWEB, BARAT GROUP EKES OUT A NEW SERIES,weblink 1992-07-10, The production was directed by Jack Gelber who had been enlisted by Page's husband Rip Torn (who played Stanley) to helm the revival. The production was applauded for having the "savvy that gives the performers full stretch." According to one review, "This is not the Blanche of butterfly wings. This is gossamer with guts."BOOK, Kolin, Philip C., Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire, Cambridge University Press, 2000, Blanche has also been portrayed onstage by Kim Stanley, Ann-Margret, Arletty, Blythe Danner, Cate Blanchett, Claire Bloom, Faye Dunaway, Lois Nettleton, Jessica Lange (who reprised the role in the 1995 television adaptation), Marin Mazzie, Natasha Richardson, Laila Robins, Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz, Amanda Drew, Nicole Ari Parker,NEWS, Brantley, Ben, A Fragile Flower Rooted to the Earth,weblink The New York Times, December 3, 2009, May 21, 2017, Isabelle Huppert,WEB,weblink Un tramway, February 4, 2010, Les Archives du spectacle, fr, February 24, 2017, Glenn Close, Gillian Anderson,WEB, What's on: A Streetcar Named Desire,weblink Young Vic Theatre, July 23, 2014, May 16, 2016, Maxine Peake and Angelica Page.NEWS, Weinreich, Regina, Tennessee Williams Remembered at the 92nd Street Y,weblink HuffPost, May 25, 2011,

Etymology and inspiration

The character is reputedly named after theatre critic Blanche Marvin, a former actress and friend of Williams.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140727002542weblink">weblink dead, July 27, 2014, Critic claims 'I was the inspiration for Blanche DuBois', Clark, Nick, July 27, 2014, The Independent, August 29, 2014, Some critics believe that Blanche DuBois was inspired by Williams' mother.JOURNAL, Ali, Fizzah, 2016, The creation of Tennessee Williams' Blanche Dubois: a biographical psychotic neurotic, Hektoen International, 8,

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{A Streetcar Named Desire}}