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Blanche: The Life and Times of Tennessee Williams's Greatest Creation
A penetrating consideration of Tennessee Williams’s most enduring character—Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar Named Desire —written by the co-author of The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters and Furious Love. Ever since Jessica Tandy glided onto the stage in Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in 1947, Blanche DuBois has fascinated generations of audiences worldwide and secured a place in the history of literature, theater, and film. One of Williams’s greatest creations, Blanche has bedazzled, amused, and broken the hearts of generations of audiences. Before the Covid pandemic, the stage classic was performed somewhere in the world every hour. It has been adapted into a ballet and an opera, and it was satirized in an episode of The Simpsons . The final twelve words Blanche utters at the play’s end—“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”—have taken on a life of their own. Endlessly fascinating, this indelible figment of one of America’s greatest midcentury playwrights garners nearly universal interest—but why? In Blanche , Nancy Schoenberger searches for the answer. An exploration of the cultural impact of Blanche DuBois, Schoenberger’s absorbing study examines Tennessee Williams's most enduring creation through the performances of seven brilliant actresses who have taken on the role—Jessica Tandy, Vivien Leigh, Ann-Margret, Jessica Lange, Patricia Clarkson, Cate Blanchett, and Jemier Jemier Jenkins—as well as the influence of the playwright's tragic sister, Rose Williams, the person he was most haunted and inspired by. In examining various Blanches from throughout the decades and their critical reception, Schoenberger analyzes how our perception and understanding of this mesmerizing figure has altered and deepened over time. Exploring themes of womanhood, sexuality, mental illness, and the idealized South, Blanche is an engrossing cultural history of a rich and complex character that sheds light on who we are. Blanche includes 20-30 color and black-and-white photographs.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2023
11 people are currently reading
2172 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Schoenberger
15 books39 followersNancy Schoenberger is a professor of English and creative writing at the College of William and Mary. She is the author of Dangerous Muse: The Life of Lady Caroline Blackwood, and coauthor with her husband, Sam Kashner, of books on Oscar Levant, George Reeves, and the relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. She lives in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 22, 2023
" I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. " Blanche DuBois in the Streetcar named desire.
In my earlier reading years I read few biographies, thought reading forwards and afterwards were a waste of my reading time..Nowthat I'm older, hopefully smarter, though that could be contested by some, I realise how knowing an authors background enriches what is read. This book is a case in point. Many, regardless of age have not least heard of a Streetcar named desire and its most famous lines, one of which I quoted above. The second, repeated in an episode of Seinfeld when Elaine yells, Stella, Stella.
Three of my favourite actresses have played Blanche DuBois: Vivien Leigh, Jessica Lange and Ann Margaret. Each of those and others who have played the part are discussed in the book. These and other plays written by Tennessee Williams are intense. I watched on YouTube the movie of Streetcar played by Vivien Leigh and it is dark, through and through. Though they' all played the part differently, they were all affected by the drama, darkness and intensity of playing Blanche. Some mentally severe. It was a glorious, challenging part for an actress and a much sought after role, but the cost was high.
The Book also discussed Tennessee Williams and his background, which is where the first part of my review comes into play. We get different understanding of why his plays, movies are so dark..Once one reads this one can't help but realise that coming from his family and
the tragedy of the fate of his elder sister, it is not the least surprising. His guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life.
In my earlier reading years I read few biographies, thought reading forwards and afterwards were a waste of my reading time..Nowthat I'm older, hopefully smarter, though that could be contested by some, I realise how knowing an authors background enriches what is read. This book is a case in point. Many, regardless of age have not least heard of a Streetcar named desire and its most famous lines, one of which I quoted above. The second, repeated in an episode of Seinfeld when Elaine yells, Stella, Stella.
Three of my favourite actresses have played Blanche DuBois: Vivien Leigh, Jessica Lange and Ann Margaret. Each of those and others who have played the part are discussed in the book. These and other plays written by Tennessee Williams are intense. I watched on YouTube the movie of Streetcar played by Vivien Leigh and it is dark, through and through. Though they' all played the part differently, they were all affected by the drama, darkness and intensity of playing Blanche. Some mentally severe. It was a glorious, challenging part for an actress and a much sought after role, but the cost was high.
The Book also discussed Tennessee Williams and his background, which is where the first part of my review comes into play. We get different understanding of why his plays, movies are so dark..Once one reads this one can't help but realise that coming from his family and
the tragedy of the fate of his elder sister, it is not the least surprising. His guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life.
April 25, 2023
From the author of The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters and Furious Love comes this dishy detailed little book about Blanche Dubois. This is a deep dive into everything that makes her tick, our ongoing fascination with her, the actresses who played her and how Blanche intertwines with Tennessee Williams real life and experiences. Interesting concept to write a book about a fictional character and it's very well done.
4 stars
4 stars
November 14, 2024
Was "archfeminity" of the last 75 years defined by Blanche DuBois? Was she a compass with a glass face mid-crack? Make sure to cloak all the naked lightbulbs - their opaque shine will shatter its (her) container. (The end) all that is left is a rogue needle falling within the inhospitable sonor of the French Quarter's patriarchy.
Reading an analysis of the exemplar female theatrical character whilst watching HBO's Enlightened sputters a dialogue of fictional feminity and its delusive interiority. This dialogue is an expanse that Schoenberger owes her own researched critique an exploration of. Basically: let's talk more about the other girlies that girled in this or that girlish way because of this founding girlie.
She is a violent blush. She is ~everpink~.
Reading an analysis of the exemplar female theatrical character whilst watching HBO's Enlightened sputters a dialogue of fictional feminity and its delusive interiority. This dialogue is an expanse that Schoenberger owes her own researched critique an exploration of. Basically: let's talk more about the other girlies that girled in this or that girlish way because of this founding girlie.
She is a violent blush. She is ~everpink~.
April 19, 2023
What a fantastic find this book is. The research behind the writing is so superb and extensive I learned so many new nuances about the play and the character of Blanche. Notably, I discovered the astonishing performance of Ann Margret has been filmed. The film is available to watch on You Tube and I highly recommend you watch it and read this book. I hope Nancy Schoenberger writes a book about Amanda Wingfield and The Glass Menagerie.
February 5, 2024
Well-researched and thorough but I don't think the Blue Jasmine analysis added anything.
December 28, 2024
Great read, if you are a fan of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. ❤️
July 29, 2023
Author Nancy Schoenberger examines Tennessee Williams' famous character from A Streetcar Named Desire through the eyes of various actresses who have played the part. This is an interesting gambit insofar as it brings out various aspects of the character. Interestingly, all of the actresses reported suffering psychological aftereffects from the role.
Schoenberger traces the evolution of Blanche Dubois to Tennessee Williams' sister, Rose, a fragile child whose mental instability eventually led to her being institutionalized, whereupon she was subjected to a lobotomy. (Tennessee was acutely aware that his homosexuality, which at the time was classified as a mental illness, could lead to a similar fate. Blanche's young husband died of suicide after she found him in the arms of another man.). Like Rose, Blanche is victimized, eventually being carted off to a mental institution.
Elia Kazan directed the first theatrical performance of Streetcar with Jessica Tandy, then an up and coming British actress, who played Blanche opposite Marlon Brando as Stanley (Brando later wrote that he thought Tandy was miscast for her part). Although reactions to Tandy were mixed, she went on to have an illustrious film career, notably in Hitchcock's The Birds.
Kazan also directed the film version of Streetcar, again starring Brando, but substituting Vivian Leigh for the role of Blanche (Leigh had already made a name for herself in Gone with the Wind). "Leigh's performance so brilliantly evokes Williams's most famous and tragic character that all subsequent actresses have had to, in some way, reckon with it" [p. 73]. Prior to her film role, Leigh had played the part in London, in a production that Tennessee Williams did not like. Although the London version generally received good reviews, it took a toll on Leigh, who once asked a friend, "Was I all right? Am I mad to be doing it?" [pp. 80-81]. Later, Leigh manifested symptoms of bipolar disease, but she went on to make the film, and was praised by critic Pauline Kael as producing one "of the greatest performances ever put on film" [p. 88].
Through Ann-Margret, Schoenberger brings Blanche's sexuality to the foreground. Ann-Margret's "sex-kitten persona" raises the question whether Blanche was "a nymphomanic, a sexual libertine, a sex worker by necessity, or ... hypersexualized as a feature of bipolar disorder?" [p. 93]. Less of a wallflower than Tandy, Ann-Margret highlighted Blanche's survival instincts. Tennessee Williams wanted Ann-Margret to do the part, but at the time when her schedule permitted it, she was unable to get his input for the role, for he died just before she signed a contract. She did prodigious preparatory research, working extensively with a dialogue coach, and was determined to ensure that her performance did not remind viewers of Vivian Leigh. Ann-Margret inhabited the role of Blanche to the extent that she "felt dazed and psychologically beaten" [p. 96]. As she recalled, "I'd heard stories of actresses who'd been affected by parts. But I never knew anyone who'd been through that. I was Blanche. It still comes back" [p. 107].
Jessica Lange played Blanche twice, first on Broadway, and later in a television film. Although her stage performance was not well reviewed (her film performance fared better), Lange, like the other actresses, found the part exhausting: "[Y]our body doesn't understand it's make-believe...Emotions take the biggest toll on our body" [p. 111]. Lange found the film role easier to manage, since the take was "one and done", as opposed to playing the part on stage eight times a week.
Schoenberg concludes her survey with chapters on Patricia Clarkson, Cate Blanchett, and Jemier Jenkins. The chapter on Clarkson focuses on a scene where Blanche answers the door to a young man who is collecting for the local newspaper; her flirtation with him may reflect her unfortunate youthful marriage, with the young newspaper collector perhaps recalling her deceased husband. Blanchett, in addition to playing Williams' Blanche, played a similar role in Woody Allen's film Blue Jasmine. Jenkins was the first African American actress to play the part of Blanche, and Schoenberg discusses the racial context of that production.
Blanche Dubois is a complicated character, and our reaction to her is obviously colored by the actress whom we see portraying her. Of course, one can simply read the play and let one's own imagination do the work. Streetcar is an incredibly rich play, and lends itself well to a variety of encounters.
Schoenberger traces the evolution of Blanche Dubois to Tennessee Williams' sister, Rose, a fragile child whose mental instability eventually led to her being institutionalized, whereupon she was subjected to a lobotomy. (Tennessee was acutely aware that his homosexuality, which at the time was classified as a mental illness, could lead to a similar fate. Blanche's young husband died of suicide after she found him in the arms of another man.). Like Rose, Blanche is victimized, eventually being carted off to a mental institution.
Elia Kazan directed the first theatrical performance of Streetcar with Jessica Tandy, then an up and coming British actress, who played Blanche opposite Marlon Brando as Stanley (Brando later wrote that he thought Tandy was miscast for her part). Although reactions to Tandy were mixed, she went on to have an illustrious film career, notably in Hitchcock's The Birds.
Kazan also directed the film version of Streetcar, again starring Brando, but substituting Vivian Leigh for the role of Blanche (Leigh had already made a name for herself in Gone with the Wind). "Leigh's performance so brilliantly evokes Williams's most famous and tragic character that all subsequent actresses have had to, in some way, reckon with it" [p. 73]. Prior to her film role, Leigh had played the part in London, in a production that Tennessee Williams did not like. Although the London version generally received good reviews, it took a toll on Leigh, who once asked a friend, "Was I all right? Am I mad to be doing it?" [pp. 80-81]. Later, Leigh manifested symptoms of bipolar disease, but she went on to make the film, and was praised by critic Pauline Kael as producing one "of the greatest performances ever put on film" [p. 88].
Through Ann-Margret, Schoenberger brings Blanche's sexuality to the foreground. Ann-Margret's "sex-kitten persona" raises the question whether Blanche was "a nymphomanic, a sexual libertine, a sex worker by necessity, or ... hypersexualized as a feature of bipolar disorder?" [p. 93]. Less of a wallflower than Tandy, Ann-Margret highlighted Blanche's survival instincts. Tennessee Williams wanted Ann-Margret to do the part, but at the time when her schedule permitted it, she was unable to get his input for the role, for he died just before she signed a contract. She did prodigious preparatory research, working extensively with a dialogue coach, and was determined to ensure that her performance did not remind viewers of Vivian Leigh. Ann-Margret inhabited the role of Blanche to the extent that she "felt dazed and psychologically beaten" [p. 96]. As she recalled, "I'd heard stories of actresses who'd been affected by parts. But I never knew anyone who'd been through that. I was Blanche. It still comes back" [p. 107].
Jessica Lange played Blanche twice, first on Broadway, and later in a television film. Although her stage performance was not well reviewed (her film performance fared better), Lange, like the other actresses, found the part exhausting: "[Y]our body doesn't understand it's make-believe...Emotions take the biggest toll on our body" [p. 111]. Lange found the film role easier to manage, since the take was "one and done", as opposed to playing the part on stage eight times a week.
Schoenberg concludes her survey with chapters on Patricia Clarkson, Cate Blanchett, and Jemier Jenkins. The chapter on Clarkson focuses on a scene where Blanche answers the door to a young man who is collecting for the local newspaper; her flirtation with him may reflect her unfortunate youthful marriage, with the young newspaper collector perhaps recalling her deceased husband. Blanchett, in addition to playing Williams' Blanche, played a similar role in Woody Allen's film Blue Jasmine. Jenkins was the first African American actress to play the part of Blanche, and Schoenberg discusses the racial context of that production.
Blanche Dubois is a complicated character, and our reaction to her is obviously colored by the actress whom we see portraying her. Of course, one can simply read the play and let one's own imagination do the work. Streetcar is an incredibly rich play, and lends itself well to a variety of encounters.
October 14, 2023
This was so well researched and I did not know the story of Tennessee's sister, who was institutionalized and lobotomized by her father while still a young woman. She outlived Tennessee and inherited around $7 million when he died, yet she spent her entire adult life hospitalized. She was likely not insane, but silenced to cover up dark family secrets. Williams was always haunted by what happened, yet felt too young and powerless to intervene. Many characters in his plays are based on aspects of his sister. Also interesting is the impact playing these roles had on various actresses throughout the years. One actress studying to play Blanche met a southern debutante, who told her they were taught manners, but not how to survive. The actress screamed when she heard this, it resonated so much. She also lamented that she wasn't better trained or prepared for the mental effects of playing such a character night after night, because the body doesn't know it is not real. This was a commen theme for women who played these roles, they were very physically and psychologically demanding and difficult; no surprise since those were the circumstances for the woman on whom they were inspired. I'm grateful for learning these stories and their keen analysis.
May 3, 2024
As someone who loves Tennessee Williams and the theatre in general, I was very excited for this book. Unfortunately, I found it disappointing.
There are bits and pieces throughout the book that are interesting (or just new info to me), but the text itself is largely repetitive and simplistic.
The book begins with an introduction that vaguely mentions the author’s family, something that will not be touched on again. Breaking the book into chapters based on each actress makes sense, but only if you’re examining their performances equally. The chapters for some of the actresses contained more information about Tennessee Williams than the actress/performance herself, while other chapters were nearly exclusively about how that specific actress changed the role.
As I said, I found the text repetitive. Some anecdotes were repeated three times or more— and they weren’t re-worded or re-worked, it was practically a copy paste job from 30 pages ago. The text felt disjointed from one paragraph to the next and from one chapter to the next. Some of the comparisons/analogies were out of place to me— felt more like filler to meet a word count than something that furthered the progress of the text.
I am not saying this to be unkind, but to me, it read like a sophomore college student’s English Lit project. Especially the original poetry at the end— it reminded me of something I might have written in an attempt to be unique while working on my theatre degree in undergrad. It has so much potential, and the research and material is clearly there. It just needs to be more cohesive and consistent.
On a more personal note, I didn’t much care for the obituary at the end. Maybe I’m being cynical, but it didn’t read like any obituary I have ever read. The poetry was also not for me personally, but I appreciate the creativity.
3 ⭐️ because I really think the book could be great, and that Nancy Schoenberger just needs a better editing team to help her shine.
There are bits and pieces throughout the book that are interesting (or just new info to me), but the text itself is largely repetitive and simplistic.
The book begins with an introduction that vaguely mentions the author’s family, something that will not be touched on again. Breaking the book into chapters based on each actress makes sense, but only if you’re examining their performances equally. The chapters for some of the actresses contained more information about Tennessee Williams than the actress/performance herself, while other chapters were nearly exclusively about how that specific actress changed the role.
As I said, I found the text repetitive. Some anecdotes were repeated three times or more— and they weren’t re-worded or re-worked, it was practically a copy paste job from 30 pages ago. The text felt disjointed from one paragraph to the next and from one chapter to the next. Some of the comparisons/analogies were out of place to me— felt more like filler to meet a word count than something that furthered the progress of the text.
I am not saying this to be unkind, but to me, it read like a sophomore college student’s English Lit project. Especially the original poetry at the end— it reminded me of something I might have written in an attempt to be unique while working on my theatre degree in undergrad. It has so much potential, and the research and material is clearly there. It just needs to be more cohesive and consistent.
On a more personal note, I didn’t much care for the obituary at the end. Maybe I’m being cynical, but it didn’t read like any obituary I have ever read. The poetry was also not for me personally, but I appreciate the creativity.
3 ⭐️ because I really think the book could be great, and that Nancy Schoenberger just needs a better editing team to help her shine.
July 11, 2023
This was really interesting, focusing on one character in one play and then going into detail about the character's creation and origins before examining several landmark performances in the roles that highlight how flexible and full of depth the character is. Different actresses focused on different aspects of the mercurial character. I loved the Sam Shephard quote (told to Jessica Lange) "Young actresses dream of playing Blanche the way young actors dream of playing Hamlet."
The section on the show being played by non-white performers was particularly interesting. Apparently, Williams was all for it and in the initial introduction of the play (initially performed in 1947 so I assume around that time) requested that it not be performed at theaters that practiced discrimination.
The section on the show being played by non-white performers was particularly interesting. Apparently, Williams was all for it and in the initial introduction of the play (initially performed in 1947 so I assume around that time) requested that it not be performed at theaters that practiced discrimination.
May 15, 2023
When I was sixteen, I had the read the works of Tennessee Williams which he quickly became my favorite playwright. This is a psychological study of Blanche DuBois character in a Streetcar named Desire. The author touches on Williams sister Rose who not only inspired Blanche but also the character of Laura in The Glass Menagrie and also Catherine Holly in Suddenly Last Summer. The book also interviews actresses that have played Blanche including Ann Margret, Jessica Lange, Patricia Clasrkson to name a few. My favotite part in the book was a fictionilized biography of Blanche after leaving the mental institution.
July 28, 2023
I found the history of Tennessee Williams and his sister Rose who was the inspiration for many of his works fascinating I have mixed feelings about the rest of the book.
I liked learning about all the different versions of the movie and play that have been produced and I thought highlighting a few of the actresses who portrayed her was a different kind of approach, but I think a lot of it became repetitive information as each chapter worn that it became a little... dull to read about after awhile.
There's no doubt that this was a well researched and well written work though!
I think I was just expecting something a little different and a little more based on the summary.
I liked learning about all the different versions of the movie and play that have been produced and I thought highlighting a few of the actresses who portrayed her was a different kind of approach, but I think a lot of it became repetitive information as each chapter worn that it became a little... dull to read about after awhile.
There's no doubt that this was a well researched and well written work though!
I think I was just expecting something a little different and a little more based on the summary.
January 7, 2024
A fairly quick read that I enjoyed very much. The character of Blanche has always fascinated me and Streetcar Named Desire is probably my favorite play thanks to the movie by Elia Kazan. This book tells the experience of many different actors who have taken on this emotionally draining, all absorbing role. They all say the effects were profound on their psyche and a few felt a little mad after the play was over. The play was said to have contributed to the onset of mental illness for Vivian Leigh. I definitely recommend this book!
May 3, 2023
While I'm a huge fan of A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche was not one of my favorite characters. The book was interesting to read and well researched, but I would have enjoyed learning more about the play in general.
June 10, 2023
Blanche revisited
A brilliant and engaging look at the diverse ways in which the iconic character of Blanche Dubois has been interpreted through particular social and cultural perspectives.
A brilliant and engaging look at the diverse ways in which the iconic character of Blanche Dubois has been interpreted through particular social and cultural perspectives.
August 26, 2023
A deep dive into Blanche from Tennessee William’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and analyze all the major performances of the role (Vivien Leigh, Ann Margaret, Jessica Tandy, Cate Blanchett) among others.
I think this would be an invaluable resource to any actress tackling the part of Blanche.
I think this would be an invaluable resource to any actress tackling the part of Blanche.
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March 30, 2023BLANCHE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS'S GREATEST CREATION by Nancy Schoenberger is a captivating history of Blanche DuBois from "A Streetcar Named Desire"!
https://bit.ly/3Kh7kVn
https://bit.ly/3Kh7kVn
July 15, 2023
An interesting review of the iconic character and the actress who played her. It's an interesting diversion. I'd live to read a treatise on the subject, but this is a light read.
August 20, 2023
Wonderful. A fascinating look at one of the most famous characters of the 20th century, and what she meant to and about her creator.
August 29, 2023
As someone who has taught Streetcar, this was enlightening.
November 5, 2023
too much wikipedia entry, too little critical analysis
November 20, 2023
B+ Audible
December 2, 2023
maybe 3.5?? learned a lot of new information but not a lot of nuance and SO repetitive
February 26, 2025
Streetcar is my Roman Empire
May 21, 2025
Amazing
I still haven't seen the play but this was such an amazingly in depth look at the tragedy of both Rose Williams and the many layers of Blanche DuBois. I highly recommend it.
I still haven't seen the play but this was such an amazingly in depth look at the tragedy of both Rose Williams and the many layers of Blanche DuBois. I highly recommend it.
October 8, 2023
Blanche and Stella have fascinated and served as reference points for me more than almost any other fictional characters since I read Streetcar in high school. Even so, this look at the inspiration and impact of Blanche was repetitive and perhaps too inside baseball for my liking.
March 10, 2024
Love to see someone just obsess over a piece of media and do the deepest academic research dive on it. Nancy BITES into Tennessee and Blanche and Rose Williams. She gnaws into the portrayals of Blanche and the many actresses and iterations and provides context. It was compelling because the author is so clearly obsessed and compelled herself by the content. Would I have necessarily been interested in just a review of A Streetcar Named Desire? Maybe not, but this comprehensive guide to Rose Williams, Tennessee Williams, Blanche DuBois, and the many actresses who have played her makes me glad to know what I know now.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews