Braxton Molinaro chatted about directing the Tennessee Williams play “A Streetcar Named Desire” for KAPA Repertory Theatre. It will be performed from February 20 to 22nd at Circa On Seventh in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The production stars Bridget Regan (“The Rookie” and “Jane the Virgin”) as Blanche DuBois, Anthony Konechny (“X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Supergirl,” and “Animal Kingdom”) as Stanley Kowalski, Jennifer Brown (“The Game”) as Stella Kowalski, and Norman Towns (HBO’s “Insecure” and Jordan Peele’s “HIM”) as Steve Hubbell.
The cast of actors are joined by performers from the local Kenosha community.
How did it feel to direct “A Streetcar Named Desire” for KAPA Repertory Theatre?
It comes in waves. Family, memory, desire, and mental health collide all at once, and the play quietly asks you to interrogate yourself—your lineage, what you inherit, what you repeat, and what you’re trying to outrun.
Streetcar lives in the space between what keeps us alive and what slowly erodes us. Desire isn’t indulgence here; it’s the opposite of death. It’s the force that keeps the heart beating, even when it hurts.
What was it like working with Bridget Regan, Anthony Konechny, and the rest of the cast?
It feels like it was simply meant to be. I dared to ask the most talented people I knew, and one by one, they said “yes.”
Then, we show up to the first read-through on Zoom, and they’re moving like caged animals, the text exploding off the screen. Every piece of themselves is in the work, and it’s pure, uncontainable magic.
What did this play teach you about yourself?
This play taught me to slow down, to pay closer attention—to see why people stay together, why they break apart, and what one can endure along the way.
How does it feel to be a creative in the digital age?
It’s exciting. I love that we can connect with anyone in the world from the palm of our hand—it’s opened up real opportunities to meet and collaborate with artists everywhere, and to experience work we might never have access to otherwise.
At the same time, it makes the act of gathering in a room, sharing something live and unmediated, feel even more vital.
What is your advice for people that wish to go into the entertainment industry professionally?
Learn to find joy in other people’s work and celebrate the success of your tribe—circles rise together. Don’t wait for someone to hand you a job or an opportunity—make the job, create the work, and invite others to join you. Treat everyone with kindness.
You can burn a bridge, but make sure you’ve got a boat before you do. Show up prepared, learn your lines, bring ideas, and know that on the days you don’t have inspiration, enthusiasm might just get it done.
What do your plans for the future include?
I’m continuing as Creative Director of KAPA REP for the next year, writing music and lyrics for a new musical based on a hit feature film, and I just finished a feature film called Out of the Woods, starring Frances Fisher and Bruce Davison, directed by Sal Bardo.
I’m teaching, creating, and exploring work that challenges me whenever and wherever possible.
What does the word success mean to you?
Success is being at peace with yourself when you’re alone. It’s being surrounded with people who see you fully—on your brightest days and your darkest—and love you for it, and despite it all.
It’s having the freedom to do the work you love, while still being able to afford the doctor, the dentist, or a night out just because.
What would you like to tell our readers about “A Streetcar Named Desire”?
A Streetcar Named Desire reflects KAPA Repertory Theatre’s mission to prove that ambitious, world-class theatre doesn’t require a major metropolitan address.
Located just an hour outside Chicago, Kenosha gives us the freedom to take creative risks and rethink where bold theatrical work can and perhaps should happen.
After launching our flagship season by closing four downtown city streets and staging Little Shop of Horrors inside an active botanical boutique, Streetcar marks a clear step forward—more intimate, more focused, and no less daring.
It has the greatest cast you could ever ask for. We aim to break the mold with every production.
To learn more about Braxton Molinaro, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on KAPA Repertory Theatre, visit its official homepage and Instagram page.
