Collision course

“I don’t want realism,” implores Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh), “I want magic.” Yet in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” there is magic only in memories, as the failed Southern belle confronts brutal reality in the form of Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando).

Thuggish yet undeniably sexy, Brando introduced hyper-realism to the screen while Tennessee Williams’ script (based on his Pulitzer-winning play) pushed 1951 censorship codes to the breaking point. Elia Kazan directed what turned out to be a master class in acting: The two leads, plus Kim Hunter and Karl Malden from the supporting cast, were nominated for Academy Awards.

Of the four, only Brando, in the first of his four straight nominations, didn’t win an Oscar. Then again, he did manage to make the T-shirt a fashion statement. Monday, September 12. 7 p.m. $9. Sebastiani Theatre. 996.9756. Sebastianitheatre.com.

— Val Robichaud