A Streetcar Named Desire to open at ProArts Playhouse on March 25

The Maui professional premiere of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire opens at ProArts Playhouse March 25, 2022.

“We are very excited to announce Maui’s first professional production of one of America’s true classics by its greatest playwright,” said Paul Janes-Brown, principal of Curtain Call Productions.

Curtain call joins ProArts and Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez in producing the play, which is directed by Sally Sefton.

“I am blessed to be working on my fifth production of a Tennessee William’s script,” said Sefton. “And I find myself once again bowed by the brilliance of his words and determined to bring the story of these broken souls to life in a way that honors his work, and also brings something new and fresh to this classic of American theatre.”

“Sally’s production of The Glass Menagerie remains the best I’ve ever seen, so when she told me in 2019 that she always wanted to direct this show, I made it my mission to bring her vision to the stage, specifically the ProArts stage,” said Janes-Brown.

Blackburn-Rodriguez, a long-time collaborator with Janes-Brown, was brought on board just before auditions were to be held in 2020. “But we all know what happened then,” said Janes-Brown. “We are looking forward to finally doing this.”

The cast is led by NYC, LA, and Maui stage, film, and television veteran Denise Maria Toledo as Blanche DuBois, with fellow pro Jefferson Davis as Stanley Kowalski and Leighanna Locke as Stella. Manaʻo Radio’s Sweet Mama Dee, Renee DeAhl will lend both her acting and singing talents to the piece, with J. Scott McLelland, Lou Young, Carol Lem, Shane Borge, Troy Lau, and John Bolte rounding out the cast.

A Streetcar Named Desire runs March 25 through April 10, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at ProArts Playhouse, located in Azeka Plaza, 1280 South Kīhei Road in Kīhei.

Tickets are $25-$35, and are available at www.ProArtsMaui.com and by calling 808-463-6550.

Proceeds from the April 2 show will benefit the J. Walter Cameron Center. Today the center houses 17 resident health, social service, and cultural organizations, with 100+ programs serving 30,000 low-income community members, pre-pandemic.