Gonzalez Will Play Stanley, Not Brando

“This is definitely intimidating. I mean, those are very big shoes to fill,” says John Gonzalez, the 23-year-old student who is playing Stanley Kowalski in Cal State Fullerton’s revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

He is talking about Marlon Brando’s shoes, of course. Brando virtually patented the role, first on Broadway in 1947 and later in Elia Kazan’s praised film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ play. Asked to consider the impact of Brando’s performance, Gonzalez has to pause.

“It was amazing acting,” he says finally. “He’s one of the most brilliant actors I’ve ever seen. I saw the movie a couple of years ago. I didn’t want to see it recently. In fact, I’ve had to throw out everything I remember about it. I wanted to start from zero, coming up with my own interpretation.

“Hey, I have as much right to play Stanley as Brando did,” he adds suddenly, giving you an idea why director Gretchen Kanne chose him for the part. He is confident of his abilities and says he feels “able to generate the brutal aggressiveness” that Kowalski requires.

“You have to get into that side,” the New Jersey native explains. “It can be frightening. You have to know how far to go with it on stage.”

He disagrees with those who see Kowalski as a woman-hating monster. Instead, he sees Stella’s husband as a simple (albeit primitive) man who feels threatened by Blanche’s invasion of his home.

“He’s a lusty, sexually driven man, the kind who thinks he’s king of his castle. When Blanche comes into the picture, his kingdom and his most prized possession--his wife--are threatened. His response is to do anything to protect what he has. I don’t see him as a villain, no.”