And in another review, a few months later, “Most Blanches are natural losers; they are alcoholics and nymphomaniacs. They can promise themselves redemption, but that is really only a romantic dream, another half ‐ lie to eke out a drowned life. Miss Nettleton plays Blanche as a woman of nearly unshatterable courage. If, if, if, Mitch, her shy, clumsy suitor, had taken her at her apparent face value, the play could have had a happy ending.” As a class, we read and discussed Barnes’ two reviews, and they appeared in my students’ writing; those interpretations played a role in how they wrote about the play. For example, Rhylee wrote: “Stanley's immense feelings of emasculation hit an all-time high when he finally reaches his breaking point. He feels extremely insecure when we reach this moment of the play and he takes it out on Blanche in the most dehumanizing way by sexually assaulting her.” I mentioned to Yogi that we would be reading reviews by his grandfather. He informed his mom, who was wondering which reviews they were. I sent them to her via email and asked her what it was like growing up as a theater critic’s kid. She emailed back, and in addition, went through a few binders of correspondence that her father had with playwrights and found these two letters:
“Dear Clive—This comes a bit late for a holiday greeting (was in Vienna) but I hope it’s acceptable as a note of thanks for the invaluable support you’ve given me through this period of revivals. All best wishes to you and Mrs. Barnes for ‘76! Your Tenn.”
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