STREETCAR DRAMA TECHNIQUES

1. Music and Light

2. The music of the play…
As you listen to each piece of music used in A Streetcar Named Desire, think
about:
– Adjectives to describe the mood/style of each
piece
– Similarities/differences between the pieces
– Ideas about, and expectations of, the play

3. The music of the play
Music is used a great deal in the play, as part of the texture of New
Orleans with its blues piano and jazz rhythms as well as to aid the
creation of an appropriate atmosphere.
Music is also referenced in the play – most notably in Scene 3 when
Stanley throws the radio out the window. What does music and
particular forms of music mean to the central characters?

4. The Blue Piano
The blues music enhances the dreamlike feeling in the play. The Blue piano
represents ‘the spirit of life’ (Pg 3) in the setting. This is prominent in the first scene
when Blanche recalls the unfortunate fate of Belle Reve, and in the 5th scene when
she kisses the Young Man.
The blue piano shows the cyclical structure of the play, as the play starts and ends
with the same background music. This shows possibly that Blanche, just like in the
beginning of the play, is alone and continues her unsettled journey of life. The Blue
Piano not only gives the readers a sense of setting, but also shows Blanche’s need
for companionship.
IF YOU GET THE BLUE PIANO IN THE EXTRACT IN THE EXAM IT’S WORTH LOOKING
FOR OTHER TIMES WHEN THE MUSIC OCCURS – IT REFLECTS A SIMILAR FEELING
OR MUSICAL SYMBOLISM

5. The Blue Piano

6. Sound effects
• In addition to the music we hear frequently throughout the play,
Williams ensures our senses are also hit by other noises. List all the
sound effects you have encountered.
• Why has Williams done this?

7. Lighting
Throughout the play, Blanche avoids strong light, even buying “an adorable
coloured paper lantern” to cover the “naked light bulb” – as offensive to her as
“a rude remark or a vulgar action”.
Look at the two quotations below. What is being said here about the
significance of light for Blanche? What does the light symbolise for her?
It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always
been in half shadow, that’s how it struck the world for me.
And then the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off
again and never for one moment since has there been any light that’s stronger
than this – kitchen – candle…

8. Lighting
• In pairs, go back through the first 7 scenes to find 3-4 further
quotations where Williams seems to be using light (or the absence of)
symbolically. Annotate the quotations with your ideas about what the
light represents and its association with particular characters and
themes.
As a class we are going to share our findings. Make note of other pair’s
discoveries so that you can make connections with your
interpretations.