How Is Lighting Used In A Streetcar Named Desire

The aspects of lighting and sound in drama play a pivotal role in the progression of a play’s storyline as well as its ability to convey ideas to the audience. Arthur Miller's, “All My Sons”, and Tennessee Williams' “A Streetcar Named Desire” exemplify this use of visual and auditory elements for the purpose of story development particularly well, doing so in similar yet contrasting ways.
The element of lighting plays a vital role in the interpretation of ideas in dramatic pieces, often occurring under one of two subsets, naturalism and expressionism. Naturalistic lighting is meant to represent the reality of lighting you might see in the real world, which can be seen in “All My Sons”. Expressionistic lighting is meant to serve a metaphorical or developmental purpose and is relied upon heavily in “A Streetcar Named Desire”. The use of lighting in both these pieces however, serves to further both the plot, and the individual ideas of their respective stories.
The piece centers around the idea that war is inherently evil, and through the use of realism in his stage directions, Miller pulls the audience into the scene and creates a sense of personal connection to portray this to viewers. The opening of the play features a description of the setting mentioning “closely planted poplars which lend the yard a secluded atmosphere” (Act 1 Page 1). This use of poplar trees to describe the atmosphere serves to lend the reader a sense of comfort and familiarity, as everyone can imagine the homey shaded area of a suburban backyard. By allowing the audience to connect with and identify with the piece, Miller effectively furthers the conveyance of his ideas by playing off the audience's investment in the