A Streetcar Named Marge

"I haven't been in a play since high school, and I thought it would be a good chance to meet some other adults."

- Marge Simpson

"A Streetcar Named Marge" is the second episode of Season 4. The episode first aired on October 1, 1992. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Rich Moore. Jon Lovitz and Phil Hartman guest starred.

Marge gets a taste of the acting bug and decides to volunteer at the Springfield Community Center. She is cast as Blanche DuBois in a musical version of "A Streetcar Named Desire" directed by the flamboyant Llewellyn Sinclair. Meanwhile, Maggie squares off with her strict new daycare provider.

Plot
Marge is cast in the role of Blanche DuBois in Oh! Streetcar, the musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by the flamboyant Llewellyn Sinclair at the Springfield Community Center. Homer isn't very supportive of Marge's interest in acting, so she uses her anger towards him for inspiration in some of the play's more emotional moments. Acting opposite Ned Flanders as Stanley Kowalski, Marge gets so absorbed in her role that at one point she attacks Ned with a broken bottle while practicing. Meanwhile, Maggie has been placed in day care at the Ayn Rand School for Tots and leads a rebellion against the strict caretaker, who confiscates all of the babies' pacifiers. Marge puts on a great performance and everyone applauds, except Homer, who is staring at the floor. After the play, Marge berates Homer for being bored, until he recites some aspects, showing he was saddened by the play's plot. Seeing that Homer was indeed moved by the play, Marge reconciles with Homer.

Production
This is the last episode to be animated by Klasky-Csupo, Inc.

Controversy
The episode faced controversy from New Orleans, Louisiana, due to a song in which it describes the city negatively:

''Long before the Superdome, where the Saints of football play, lived a city that the damned call home, hear their hellish Rondelet. New Orleans! Home of pirates, drunks and whores. New Orleans! Tacky, overpriced souvenir stores. If you wanna go to hell you should take that trip to the Sodom and Gomorrah on the "Mississippi". New Orleans! Stinking, rotten "vomity" vile. New Orleans! Putrid, brackish, maggoty, foul. New Orleans! Crummy, lousy, rancid and rank. New Orleans!''

The writers apologized for this, and in the next episode opening Bart repeatedly writes "I will not defame New Orleans" on the blackboard. On the special features for the DVD, there is a featurette about this.

A Streetcar Named Marge Um bonde chamado Marge