A Streetcar Named Desire

When I took on the role of Harold “Mitch” Mitchell in A Streetcar Named Desire, I stepped into a character who challenged me on both physical and emotional levels. When Loni Berry, owner and director of Culture Collective Studio, reached out, I assumed he saw me for something closer to Marlon Brando’s type. To my surprise, he offered me Mitch. That choice changed everything for me.

Mitch is a big man with a soft interior. He carries a mix of masculinity, tenderness and an awkward sincerity that sets him apart from Stanley. He wants the same things, but he approaches the world with more empathy. He cares for his sick mother. He carries a silver cigarette case inscribed with “And if God chooses, I shall love thee better after death,” a gift from a dying woman he once loved. That detail alone says a lot about him.

He is lonely, shy, gentle and often unsure of himself. His desire is quiet and almost hesitant, but he still reaches a breaking point. By the end of the play, after a series of provocations and emotional blows, he crosses into darker territory. That complexity made him even more compelling to explore.

To prepare, I focused on physical work. Mitch is tall, heavy and grounded, yet inside he has softness and a sense of boyishness. I tried to bridge that contrast: the weight of the body and the fragility of the man living within it.

The hardest part was the emotional journey. I wanted to find whatever was hidden inside that large frame, including grief, longing, vulnerability and quiet hope. To get there, I used meditation before, during and after each show. It helped me walk on stage without defences, stay open and react truthfully to whatever happened between the characters.

Performing Mitch became a raw and freeing experience. Each show pushed me into a trance like state where I felt connected to myself, to the character, to the audience and to something much larger. These moments deepened my interest in psychophysical work and encouraged me to continue my research and practice in that direction.

I performed in a modern interpretation of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by Loni Berry and set in present day New Orleans. Blanche DuBois, played by Claudia Liu, Stanley Kowalski, played by Clement Phanavanh, Stella Kowalski, played by Sarinya Olsson, and the Singer Narrator, played by Duncan Allan, created an intense and contemporary world for the story. Stepping into that world as Mitch was one of the most transformative experiences in my work so far.

Set Design:
Monsuntorn Surach

Lighting Design:
Thachaporn Jirasakkee

Technical Design:
Jirach Eaimsa-ard

Properties & Costumes:
Panida Aimpraserksuk

Adaptation and Direction:
Loni Berry

https://culture-collective.com/a-streetcar-named-desire/