THE ROLE PLAYERS ENSEMBLE OF DANVILLE opened its 2015-16 season Friday with a fresh and vital production of the die-hard drama, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Tennessee Williams’s enduring portrait of sexuality and class distinction set in the French Quarter of 1940s New Orleans.

Always a quality act, the troupe’s current opener is truly a piece de resistance. Melanie DuPuy gives a stunning performance as Blanche, an anxious, widowed 30-something who arrives from Mississippi to visit her younger sister Stella (Samantha Behr) at the tiny, lower-level apartment Stella shares with her brutish husband Stanley (Rob August).

Behr and August set the stage as the fiendishly amorous Stella and Stanley Kowalski. No matter the heat, in the weather or in their tumultuous relationship, the two are drawn together like super-powered magnets, rushing to each other’s embrace with rapturous abandon at every opportunity. They appear to have no further ambition in life than to be at each other’s disposal.

Enter Blanche. Stanley happens to arrive home before Stella has had a chance to tell him that her sister has arrived. Blanche is posing coyly at the entrance to the apartment’s tiny bedroom when he spies her, obviously taken aback by her seductive appearance. He doesn’t hesitate, though, to establish his dominion, changing out of his sweaty shirt in front of her just as he would if he were home alone. He succeeds in rattling Blanche, though she does her best to continue a polite conversation.

The gulf between Blanche’s world of pretentious sophistication and the raw environment at the Kowalski home only widens as Blanche gets more and more settled into her new surroundings. Stanley’s aversion to her social arrogance only seems to escalate matters, leading to violent outbursts and, ultimately, to Stanley’s blunt disclosure of Blanche’s true history, sleuthed out with the help of some of his fellow workers.

There is another character, though, who brings to light Blanche’s inner nature and proves key to unraveling the mystery of her odd behavior. Stanley’s poker buddy and co-worker Mitch, beautifully portrayed by Tim Holt Jones, grows intrigued by Blanche’s striking femininity and begins to woo her. Mitch is willing to bow to her presumptuous rules of etiquette as he gets to know her more intimately, even to the point of discovering her desperate emotional frailty — but there is only so far that Blanche’s feminine wiles can go to keep her latest suitor from discovering her darkest secret, one that is plainly revealed to the audience in the final act. Jones gives a gripping portrayal of the widowed gentleman, the perfect match to this incredible cast.

I found myself drawn in to this story like never before, thanks to the fine talents of this well-rehearsed group of players.

There is a professional ambience surrounding the production; even the venue’s lighting seems to be upgraded from earlier productions, perhaps to the credit of designer Darsen Long. It feels easier to forget that the play is taking place in a fixed area; easier to feel the presence of each scene. Even someone already intimately familiar with the classic storyline could be captured in this bright and fresh-feeling performance.

The Role Players production is buoyed by powerful acting and enhanced by thoughtful and meticulously crafted sets, as well as period music that is, at least for the most part, appropriately relegated to the background, all under the deft direction of Role Players alum George Maguire. The director has deflected credit back onto his capable cast, saying, “I agree with the great Hal Prince that 75 percent of directing is casting.” Well, he certainly took great care in doing just that, enlisting a collection of performers that swiftly captures the personalities of the key figures of the play while lending it all a freshness that will appeal to modern audiences.

If You Go
“A Streetcar Named Desire” continues at the Village Theatre, 233 Front St., Danville through Sept. 19. Tickets are $20 to $28 and are available by calling 925-314-3400 or online at www.roleplayersensemble.com.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from UC-Santa Barbara.