Earlier this year, I visited London and attended the heralded production of A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Paul Mescal as Stanley Kowalski and Patsy Ferran as Blanche DuBois. Unfortunately, I found both the direction and the performances disappointing. So, when I received an invitation to see a new staging of Tennessee Williams’ classic in Tel Aviv, I was hesitant—having sat through too many underwhelming productions of canonical plays in recent years.
Thankfully, I decided to go. Directed by Shir Goldberg, this production turned out to be a remarkable success. The inventive set, designed by Eran Atzmon, blends realism with stylisation. An upper floor houses a bathroom cordoned off by galvanised steel chain-link fencing, lending it the look of an exposed cage. The industrial harshness of the metal creates a sense of danger and entrapment. It is there that Blanche retreats for her long baths, and it is also where Stanley’s friends confine him after he drunkenly attacks Blanche’s sister – his wife Stella.
In a striking reinterpretation of the play’s iconic moment, the scene in which Stanley famously calls for Stella has been cleverly inverted. Now, locked in the bathroom, he calls for her to come up and release him. This bold choice adds a compelling layer of metaphor—Stanley is portrayed not only as physically restrained, but symbolically imprisoned by his own violent impulses. Water cascading from the upstairs bathtub later falls onto Stanley as he assaults Blanche on the same kitchen table where he had previously played cards with his friends. This staging is far more visceral and powerful than the stylised interpretation presented in the aforementioned West End production, directed by Rebecca Frecknall.
The Cameri Theatre production is accompanied by a live band performing loud, jazzy percussion—at times mimicking the rumble of streetcars passing by. Goldberg also incorporated three songs, performed by supporting cast members. The first, Trust in Me—originally sung by the snake in Disney’s 1967 animated The Jungle Book—adds an unexpected yet fitting layer to the atmosphere, enhancing the play’s undercurrent of seduction and menace.
I was initially unsure about the addition of a video camera positioned above the table, occasionally projecting images onto the back of the stage. However, it paid off powerfully in the climactic scene, capturing a close-up of Blanche’s drained, devastated face to harrowing effect.
Of course, none of this would have mattered if the performances hadn’t been so precise and compelling. Keren Mor, a major stage and television star—celebrated by the general public primarily for her comic talents—delivered a remarkably delicate and moving performance as Blanche DuBois. I’ve seen her play to the crowd in the past, but here she was exquisite, capturing the fragility and heartbreak of a woman whose elaborate pretences barely conceal deep emotional wounds. Her portrayal was devastating.
Asaf Perry was also excellent as the brutish Stanley, whose relentless aggression ultimately breaks her. Anastasia Fein brought warmth and sincerity to the role of Stella, the caring younger sister, while Dudu Niv offered an intriguing interpretation of Mitch, the neighbour who falls for Blanche—until Stanley cruelly strips away her illusions and forces her into the harsh light of reality.
My only complaint is the use of side microphones attached to the actors’ cheeks, which felt more suited to a music performance. I’m not sure why they don’t conceal the microphones in the actors’ hair, as they do in the West End. Fortunately, I was seated far enough away that the mics didn’t stand out as much as they have in other plays I’ve seen in Tel Aviv.
Goldberg’s Streetcar is a bold, emotionally resonant production that breathes new life into Williams’s masterpiece. It is the rare revival that honours the original while daring to show it from a new angle.
A Streetcar Named Desire
By Tennessee Williams
Translated by Eli Bijaoui
Director: Shir Goldberg
Cast: Keren Mor, Asaf Perry, Anastasia Fein, Dudu Niv, Dan Shapira / Shahaf Kahalany, Moran Arbiv Gans / Paz Cohen, Tal Weiss, Yoav Yeheskeli
Running time: 2hrs
חשמלית ושמה תשוקה‘ – תאטרון הקמרי’