"I don't want realism. I want magic." cries out Blanche DuBois late in Tennessee Williams' masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire. The production on stage now at Fairview Library Theatre delivers plenty of both. This is another not-to-be-missed play from Stage Centre Productions, the kind of classic drama at which this group excels.

After more than 60 years, the play still packs a powerful punch and this production directed by L. Garth Allen, delivers a number of high-voltage performances.

First there is the Stanley Kowalski of Lawrence Stevenson. Early in the play, Stanley describes himself as an "unrefined type" and indeed the performance does little to smooth off the character's rough edges. It's the kind of performance where you never see the actor at work, thereby supplying some of the realism.

It makes striking contrast with Debbie Yuen's sensitive and practical Stella. The byplay between the two creates an instant snapshot of a marriage that balances the physical attraction they have with their emotional connection. She also share some brilliantly natural moments with her sister, Blanche.

Blanche DuBois is the dreamer who longs for romance but who has ridden that streetcar named desire down the physical path so often that she now has been fired from her job as a schoolteacher. Blanche is only starting to crack when she first arrives to stay with Stella and Stanley. Thanks to a wonderfully sensitive, delicately shaded performance by Heather Goodall, we witness her descent into madness.

The trigger comes with the destruction of her relationship with Stanley's friend Mitch. In many productions Mitch can appear unsympathetic but Will van der Zyl weaves in so many nuances that we understand Mitch's sensitivity and can easily relate to his ultimate decision to abandon Blanche.

The director ensures that the cast delivers not only the words but also the subtle subtext that makes any Tennessee Williams drama so potent. L. Garth Allen also uses the various playing levels on the tiered unit set to great effect. Even the transitions between scenes were handled with aplomb.

The entire cast provides realism far beyond that which is normally seen in community theatre stagings; and the magic comes when a production like this exceeds even the most optimistic expectations.