A Streetcar Named Desire, the classic play by Tennessee Williams, will be performed on campus May 28-30 and June 3-6.

A preview will be held May 27. All shows take place in the Main Theatre on campus at 8 p.m., except for 2 p.m. shows on Sundays during the play's run.

Granada Artist-in-Residence Yvonne Brewster, who directed Derek Walcott's Ti-Jean and His Brothers on campus in 1998, is back to lead the production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Brewster said that those who have seen only the film version of the play, from which censors excluded much of the explicit violence and eroticism of the original script, will find the UC Davis production a revelation.

The story follows Blanche DuBois, who comes to New Orleans to visit her pregnant sister, Stella, and Stella's husband, the crude, quick-tempered Stanley Kowalski. Blanche and Stanley, complete opposites in both temperament and experience, immediately clash, their antagonism escalating ultimately to a tragic end.

"We're bringing back all the politically incorrect bits that were removed for the film," Brewster said. For instance, in the film version Stella leaves her husband after his brutality to her sister is revealed. The play, however, ends with Stanley on his knees, playing out the cycle of violence and regret that is common in abusive relationships, and with Stella's response more ambiguous.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Brewster traveled to the United Kingdom to study speech, drama and mime. In Britain, she founded Talawa, the United Kingdom's largest black theatre company.

For tickets, call (530) 754-ARTS or toll-free at (866) 754-ARTS. Prices range from $9 to $14.