A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and a “STELLA!” Shouting Contest at the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

Ahead of its time in how it showed raw and naked sexual and emotional passions on the screen, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE made 27 year-old Marlon Brando, who also played the role of Stanley Kowalski on Broadway, an overnight sensation and one of the all-time greats of the silver screen. Blanche Dubois (Viven Leigh) is a Southern belle, one who had every man in the palm of her man. Blanche moves in with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and her husband, Stanley (Brando) in a small, grotty New Orleans apartment. Blanche’s family owned an estate but lost it and now Blanche has gone to live with her sister, much to the animal-like Stanley’s dismay. Stanley hates her, hates her with a passion. Once she arrives, hell breaks loose between Stanley and Stella, who is pregnant. Stanley gets his contacts and finds out some unsavory stuff about Stella. The ending is a real punch in the gut, even when you see it coming. Now you can see A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE again and again and again when it plays on a continuous loop Friday, May 13 at the Public Media Commons in Grand Center (3653 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63108). It’s FREE!

Then break out those ripped white t-shirts and join the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis for the city’s first-ever Stella! Shouting Contest! The hollering takes place Sunday May 15 at Strauss Park in St. Louis County beginning at 2pm. 25 Contestants will be judged by a panel of distinguished festival guests as they recreate the famous scene from A Streetcar Named Desire. Those interested in showing off their vocal chops must email tinarenard56@gmail.com to be placed on the list. First 10 to sign up get 2 tickets to a festival event! (Contestants must be 21+ to enter)

1^st Prize – 3 cases of Stella Artois

2^nd Prize – 2 cases of Stella Artois

3^rd Prize – 1 case of Stella Artois

This is all part of Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, an event that runs Wednesday, May 11 through Sunday May 15. The fest will include the mounting of  several Tennessee Williams plays, an Al Hirschfeld caricature exhibit, a photography exhibit, a one-man Tennessee Williams show starring actor Jeremy Lawrence, an exhibit of Tennessee Williams family letters, a Tennessee Williams bus tour, some Tennessee Williams readings, a closing party, and much more.

For all of the information and complete schedule of the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, visit the website HERE

http://www.twstl.org/