ISU Theatre is preparing to draw the curtains on a play set in the French Quarter of New Orleans, bursting with history and storylines. 

“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a Broadway hit that will be performed by the ISU Theatre Program. Tennessee Williams, the mastermind and playwright, introduced it to America in 1947 shortly after World War II.

“This play is arguably one of the best plays written in American literature,” said Dan Poppen, sophomore in performing arts. Poppen plays the role of Harold Mitchell in the play.

Poppen explained the play has a lot of layers.

“It’s deep water, how [Williams] writes,” Poppen said. “It seems like a lot on the surface, but there’s so much going on underneath and so it’s very difficult when you have a little over a month to convey all of it.”

Having spent much of his troubled childhood in Mississippi, Williams situated many of his works in the South and designed his characters to be of Southern descent. “Streetcar” was no exception.

The performance is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans and strongly influenced by the vibrant culture, jazz music and aftermath of World War II. The cast was given dramaturgical assignments to help them gain a better understanding of what life was like in that era.

Despite the time constraint, the production team said they are remaining optimistic and working harder than ever to ensure Williams’ play is done justice. They are working with Mike Giles, senior lecturer for the music department and Jazz Specialist who worked with ISU Theatre on RENT last year, to create a feeling of authenticity to the New Orleans locale.

“Matt Foss asked me if I’d collaborate with him and because the theme is heavy and dark, we’re providing music to spike the emotions for the audience. The songs for the play are songs that represent the bayou. It enhances things,” Giles said.

Matt Foss, director of Iowa State’s “Streetcar” and lecturer for the theatre department, added that the music would be a mixture of songs associated with the play.

“There is a mix of music that references traditional New Orleans music and songs associated with the play,” Foss said.

Foss said he “explored the themes Tennessee Williams has laced through his play in our work examining the facts and given circumstances of his text, the plot and characters he has provided.”

Foss said he enjoyed getting to work on the play.

“‘Streetcar’ is a great play — really great. Incredible structure, fantastic words; it’s a real treat to get to work on,” Foss said.

Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois, two of the main characters, are believed to be based off people in Williams’ life, thus adding more depth to the play.

Kowalski’s character struggles with severe temperamental problems based off a co-factory worker of Williams’. Blanche’s character is thought to represent Williams’ own sister who struggled with mental health issues. Their adversities touch upon two themes within the play and lead to a myriad of others for the audience to reconcile with.