NMU Presents ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tennessee Williams, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 19-21 and 26-28, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The show will be directed by assistant professor Kaitlyn Frotton.
First performed in 1947, “A Streetcar Named Desire” is about the fragile Southern belle Blanche DuBois. She moves in with her sister Stella and brutish brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski in New Orleans, leading to a tragic clash of illusion and reality, desire and class. The play explores persisting themes of mental instability, desire versus destruction, racism and oppression, misogyny and sexual assault.
“I feel there is no reason to revisit a ‘classic’ unless the theme holds relevance in modern society,” Frotton explained. “Domestic violence, misogyny and racism are still very much alive in 2026, so very little needs to be altered for contemporary ears and eyes to connect to it. A work of art can only maintain the label ‘classic’ if its themes are universal, and in this case, they unfortunately are.”
Frotton said the audience’s close proximity to the stage in the Panowski Black Box Theatre, as opposed to a larger venue, will be an advantage for this production.
“The benefits of performing in a black box theatre is that you can often get up close and personal with the performers and other patrons; no one has anywhere to really ‘hide.’ This can feel intense, but also reminds us that theatre is not theatre without an energetic exchange from actor to audience, audience to actor, actor to actor, and patron to patron.”
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. each night of the run, with a sensory-friendly Theatre for All matinee at 1 p.m. Feb. 21, and a regular 1 p.m. matinee Feb. 28.
“The actors and student designers have put so much work and effort into this show. I’m unbelievably proud of their bravery and respect for each other,” Frotton added. “They are collaborative, respectful of one another and extremely talented, so that makes directing this challenging piece really exciting.”
This performance is for mature audiences only. Tickets for the nightly showings and the Feb. 28 matinee are $25 for the general public; $22 for NMU staff, seniors and military; $15 for youth; and $5 for NMU students. Admission to the Theatre For All matinee showings is “pay as you may.” Tickets for this event can be purchased at tickets.nmu.edu.