http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/ Poetics in Live Performance Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:53:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-1205 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:51:01 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-1205 [...] Marlon Brando made theatrical history by his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE.  His costume of a white tee shirt reflecting and illuminating his character, that of a lower-class, honest, genuine, no nonsense adversary to Blanche, whose background and personality have resulted in a young woman who could not bear the crudities of reality (a naked lightbulb without a shade to give it taste!) has become the trite costume for the Stanleys who have subsequently played that character.  However, almost twenty years ago now, Alec Baldwin, much to my surprise, was wearing a suit jacket.  I couldn’t believe it, until I realized that Stanley Kowalski discovers Blanche’s past because he is a traveling salesman and knows the people and the gossip in all those towns.  A traveling salesman is accustomed to wearing a suit.  It’s in the script. [...]

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-1049 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:42:41 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-1049 [...] was the star of Road.  He was electrifying and dangerous and you always wanted to see more of [...]

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-997 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:35:48 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-997 [...] The rest of the “acting” demonstrated on the NYTimes website is, again, all gloss and no substance.  There are intermittent blips of character that have no depth and absolutely zero danger. [...]

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-838 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:37:04 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-838 [...] classic P90 pickups like a child begging for approval while his life constantly teetered between danger and [...]

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-430 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:22:03 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-430 Acting on the stage is much harder and more demanding than the movies. You have 8 live performances a week on Broadway and the whole production is set up to make a weekly profit only on that 8th show all the other shows go to pay the weekly nut. If you’re sick — and if you’re the star of the show — people can get their money back if you don’t perform. The live theatre is a big risk for everyone. In the movies, you can take breaks and do re-shoots and wait until you get the perfect take.

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-429 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:52:11 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-429 I have only seen Marlon Brando in movies but I think I know what you are talking about David, Indian theatre also witnessed lot of powerful losses like this. But fortunately there are movie-actors who still enjoy working in theatre…may be the desire is too powerful to overcome.
I also think acting on stage and in screen demand two different style, fulfilling the two at the same time might be tough…

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-428 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:59:37 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-428 A lot of the Golden Age theatre fans in NYC cannot stop talking about Brando once asked. He was that alarming and special.

]]> http://unitedstage.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-427 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:55:01 +0000 http://ustage.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/marlon-brando-and-the-promise-of-danger/#comment-427 I only saw the Hollywood version of A Streetcar Named Desire made in 1951 with said Marlon Brando. I wonder how different the two versions were. (I wonder if anyone who has seen both has gone on to write about the experience… online.)

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