As the audience entered Spyker Theatre, an array of lights set a path to the stage set before them. The audience buzzed with anticipation as they waited for the play to begin.

As the lights began to dim, that anticipation switched to excitement as the curtains were drawn and the cast came to the stage. Immediately, the audience was entranced and taken back in time to 1940s New Orleans.

ULM’s Visual and Performing Arts program performed the famous play written by Tennessee Williams, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” last week.

The play follows a woman named Blanche, who comes to live with her sister, Stella, and her sister’s husband, Stanley. 

Blanche’s troublesome past is unraveled throughout the play. Society sees her as a fallen woman because she lost her family’s fortune and estate as well as her husband. She is also perceived as an outcast because of her indiscreet sexual behavior and her drinking problem.

Blanche eventually loses her grip on reality as she fails to get what she most desires. She lives in a world of illusion where she covers the ugly truths of the world with beauty and imagination.

With how flawless their performances were, it was easy to acknowledge the effort the actors put toward accurately portraying their characters.

Wyatt Sage, the actor who played Stanley Kowalski, had a powerful stage presence. His performance made you forget it was a play. His abusive actions toward Stella, Blanche and his friends looked so real that it made you want to get out of your seat and defend them.

Sage said performing the role was the “most difficult time” he’s ever had in theatre.

“However, I love doing this stuff, so the difficulty just makes being able to succeed on stage that much better,” Sage said.

The viewers were expressive throughout the play. After each scene, the audience jumped to their feet clapping and cheering.

“I really enjoyed how much passion each of the actors put into their performance,” freshman pre-pharmacy major Cayden Hatok said. “They put so much emotion into the play, which was so exciting thinking about what was about to happen next.”

Cherie Mialaret played Stella Kowalski. It was hard to watch how devoted Stella was to Stanley despite how horrible he was towards her, which shows how well the cast displayed emotion on stage.

“Preparing for this play was a lot of hard work,” Mialaret said. “Our director, technical director, stage manager, costume designer and the other crew members worked even harder.”

The actors practiced every aspect of their performance until they were satisfied with the results. This could take days or even weeks to perfect one scene.

So much effort was put into the play by the actors and crew, which was showcased by the flawless execution of each act and seamless transitions between each scene. VAPA’s rendition of “A Streetcar Named Desire” is an overall must-see play.