| Blanche DuBois | |
|---|---|
| A Streetcar Named Desire character | |
 Jessica Tandy (left, withKim Hunter andMarlon Brando) created the role of Blanche DuBois inA Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and received aTony Award | |
| First appearance | A Streetcar Named Desire |
| Created by | Tennessee Williams |
| Portrayed by | Gillian Anderson Ann-Margret Tallulah Bankhead Cate Blanchett Blythe Danner Gretchen Egolf Renée Fleming Uta Hagen Rosemary Harris Isabelle Huppert Svetlana Nemolyaeva Yvonne Kenny Maria Kraakman Jessica Lange Vivien Leigh Lois Nettleton Carrie Nye Angelica Page Geraldine Page Nicole Ari Parker Maxine Peake Natasha Richardson Amy Ryan Jessica Tandy Rachel Weisz Julie Kavner |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | High school English teacher |
| Family | Stella DuBois (sister) Stanley Kowalski (brother-in-law) |
| Spouse | Allan Grey (deceased) |
| Relatives | Jessie (cousin, deceased) |
Blanche DuBois (married nameGrey) is a fictional character inTennessee Williams' 1947Pulitzer Prize-winning playA Streetcar Named Desire. The character was written forTallulah Bankhead and made popular to later audiences withElia Kazan's 1951 film adaptation of Williams' play;A Streetcar Named Desire, starringVivien Leigh andMarlon Brando.
Blanche DuBois is described as an agingSouthern belle who lives in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty and concerns about how others perceive her looks. She has an obsession with staying out of direct light, and even covers a light bulb with a paper lantern. She is desperate for attention and has a history of sexual promiscuity. She was formerly a teacher, who was fired for having an affair with one of her teenaged students.[1][2] Williams saw her as being 30 years of age.[3]
Michael Kahn, former head ofJuilliard's drama program and an acquaintance of Williams, described Blanche as "a moth that is fluttering too near the flame," "searching for safety."[2]
Blanche DuBois has been portrayed several times on stage and on screen. According to Kahn, "Every Blanche who played it that Tennessee saw, he would tell them that they were his favorite Blanche. Because each actress brought something different to the role than somebody else, and I think he liked that."[2]
Jessica Tandy received aTony Award for her performance as Blanche in the originalBroadway production.Uta Hagen took over the role of Blanche for the national tour, which was directed byHarold Clurman.[4]
Blanche was also portrayed byVivien Leigh in the London stage production, which was directed by her then-husbandLaurence Olivier. She reprised the role in the1951 film adaptation. The film was directed byElia Kazan, and Leigh won her secondAcademy Award for this performance.[5][6]
Tallulah Bankhead portrayed the role in 1956. Bankhead, a close friend of Williams, had been the inspiration for the role, and he wanted her to star in it. However, she was initially uninterested and the producer thought she would overpower the character's fragility. When she played the role in 1956, some critics agreed she was too strong in it, but Williams personally felt that she gave a "heroic" portrayal of the role.[7]
Geraldine Page portrayed the role in 1976 at the once celebrated Academy Festival Theatre inLake Forest, Illinois[8] The production was directed byJack Gelber who had been enlisted by Page's husbandRip Torn (who played Stanley) to helm the revival. The production was applauded for having the "savvy that gives the performers full stretch." According to one review, "This is not the Blanche of butterfly wings. This is gossamer with guts."[9]
Blanche has also been portrayed onstage byKim Stanley,Ann-Margret,Arletty,Blythe Danner,Cate Blanchett,Claire Bloom,Faye Dunaway,Lois Nettleton,Jessica Lange (who reprised the role inthe 1995 television adaptation),Marin Mazzie,Svetlana Nemolyaeva,[10][11]Natasha Richardson,Laila Robins,Rosemary Harris,Rachel Weisz,Amanda Drew,Nicole Ari Parker,[12]Isabelle Huppert,[13]Glenn Close,Gillian Anderson,[14]Maxine Peake,Patsy Ferran andAngelica Page.[15]
The character is reputedly named after theatre criticBlanche Marvin, a former actress and friend of Williams.[16] Some critics believe that Blanche DuBois was inspired by Williams' mother.[17]