Premiering at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in 1947, Streetcar was written by Williams and directed by Elia Kazan. Irene M. Selznick produced the play. Also working on the play were scene designer Jo Mielziner, costumer Lucinda Ballard, and composer Alex North. The origins of A Streetcar Named Desire can be found in earlier works by Williams such as "Blanche's Chair in the Moon" and "Portrait of a Madonna"—the latter of which focuses on a repressed Southern belle whose sexual dreams cause her to be taken to an asylum. More broadly, the play is rooted in the life of Williams himself, whose experience was marked by sexual promiscuity, loneliness, alcohol dependence, and mental instability.
Koprince, Susan. "A Streetcar Named Desire (Theater, 1947)." Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas, ABC-CLIO, 2019, popculture.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1495665. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
