At first it seems like a silly idea for a comedy sketch. Suppose Blanche DuBois were an ageless creature and returned to the Kowalski residence in New Orleans after a brief stay in the loony bin that she was carted off to at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire. After decades of sexual tension with her brutish brother-in-law, Stanley, and commiserating with her sister, Stella, the faded Southern belle is rendered homeless by Hurricane Katrina and must use her feminine wiles and steely spirit to overcome miles of red tape and governmental indifference.
Fortunately, Mark Sam Rosenthal, who wrote this sharp solo show and plays Blanche, has given his heroine three dimensions. Though she is a derivative figure, often quoting Tennessee Williams' original dialogue, Rosenthal's Blanche has compassion, courage, and an indomitable will to survive. He performs her as a complete person, not just a drag creation. Rosenthal captures the style of the original script with delightful embellishments on contemporary events. The Superdome, where hurricane victims were housed, is described as "a refuge of last resort." Blanche pretentiously pronounces the federal relief agency FEMA with a French accent, because doing so makes it sound as if "our tax dollars have never been as magically at work."
This Blanche is both a loving tribute to a dazzling character and an unforgiving political commentary.
Presented by Kind Strangers and Darren Lee Cole Theatricals at the SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St., NYC. Jan. 25–March 15. Thu. and Fri., 9 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 9 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. (212) 691-1555 or www.sohoplayhouse.com.