Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...I had a sense this “Streetcar” was going to be really good when I first saw Taber’s face as Hoekstra’s Stanley entered. Blanche may depend on the kindness of strangers but “Streetcar” depends on Stella being so sensually consumed by all that Stanley has to offer her that she sells her sister down the river."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The strength of this solid production at the Paramount Theatre's intimate Copley Theatre isn't that it's especially atmospheric, or sexy, or theatrical - those qualities are present but not prominent. This "Streetcar," directed by Jim Corti and Elizabeth Swanson, focuses on and succeeds at providing a resolute narrative and thematic clarity."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...And when the production is firing on all cylinders . . . you end up with a revival as glorious as the one currently running at the Paramount Theatre’s smaller Copley stage, a production codirected by Jim Corti and Elizabeth Swanson that expertly capitalizes on everything Williams did right in this amazing play. (Many argue it is his finest work.)"
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The eleven-member cast featured main characters Amanda Drinkall (Blanche), Casey Hoekstra (Stanley), Alina Taber (Stella), Ben Page (Mitch), Andra Uppling (Eunice), and Joshua L. Green as Steve. Roberto Antonio Mantica (Pablo/Doctor), Adriel Irizarry (Collector), Desiree Gonzalez (Flower Vendor/Nurse). Tatiana Bustamante and Gabriel Fries are understudies. Hoekstra, Taber, Page, and Uppling were outstanding and provided powerful performances; however, Drinkall's portrayal of Blanche DuBois was phenomenal. She captured the very essence of Blanche, and her visual and emotional interpretation of a woman battling between reality and sanity will take your breath away."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount Theatre in its "Bold Series" opted to tackle this marvelous work on their Copley Theatre stage and under the brilliant direction of Jim Corti and Elizabeth Swanson, on an amazing set designed by Angela Weber Miller, we are taken to a world that most of us have never known, We are in a two room apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans. While many audience members may have been to the area of New Orleans, I doubt that any of them would have been privy to this type of lifestyle."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The air in the Copley Theatre seems heavy with heat and humidity, laced with sweltering sultriness, sweat and cheap perfume. It's been transformed into the French Quarter, the neighborhood in New Orleans that playwright Tennessee Williams once called home. It's a section of the Big Easy where a streetcar named Desire once wound its way through the dingy streets and cramped housing. From the play's first ominous scene to its emotionally shattering conclusion, we helplessly witness a fragile woman, who's always depended on the kindness of strangers, lose her grip on reality when her attempt to start over again proves futile."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount Theatre presents a thrilling, and faithful production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Copley Theatre. Co-directed by Jim Corti and Elizabeth Swanson, this production is absolutely worth a Metra ride to downtown Aurora. Who says all the great theater must be within the Chicago city limits?"
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...New Orleans has a kind of disheveled luxury as it’s portrayed in Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play, A Streetcar Named Desire. In this production in Aurora, co-directors Jim Corti and Elizabeth Swanson meet this expectation. Angela Weber Miller’s set design is wonderfully detailed and evocative of the time period. The iconic corner apartment has a frayed baroque appearance, a casual and worn regality. The jazzy sounds of the French Quarter float through the windows. (Kevin O’Donnell is composer and audio associate.) Sensual maroon and faded floral wallpaper, creaky shutters and a rusty iron stove tell us it’s a working class venue, frequented by sweaty poker players and beer-drinkers. But the set is one thing; it takes actors to make it alive, stir it up.
Life and Times - Highly Recommended
"...Paramount Theatre’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” is like whiskey-soaked poetry. There is pleasure in the way it burns with a bitter yet intoxicating flavor."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...In a sultry rendition of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece, Paramount Theatre invites you to embark on a journey through the steamy streets of New Orleans with their riveting production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” With a cast and crew that breathe life into the classic Southern gothic drama, this rendition provides a visceral theatrical experience that will linger in your mind long after the curtain falls. Especially as the Copely is a small theatre, and no matter where you sit, you are very close to the action, you feel like you’ve been stuffed into the overheated apartment along with the cast."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...The intimacy of the Copley brings this story into the face of the audience. The direction is stellar. The scenic design by Angela Weber Miller evokes the feel of a run down apartment in a run down part of New Orleans. The lighting by Cat Wilson gives off the aura of heat and humidity. Streetcar is a classic American play and is on the list for most important plays of the 20th century. It is not for anyone under the age of 18. This play needs to be seen and discussed. There is a reason this is called the BOLD series. Go see for yourself. Streetcar is definitely that."
