Doris Sawyer is the seventy-four-year-old woman who usually directs the shows for the North Crawford Mask and Wig Club, the community theatre in the story. Doris decides not to direct this time, however, because she has to take care of her mother and also believes that the theatre should bring in some new directors. She helps the narrator/director cast the roles for A Streetcar Named Desire by reading Stella for Harry Nash's Stanley audition. She also tries to coach Helene Shaw for her Stella audition but isn't able to get anything out of Helene, even when she asks whether Helene has ever been in love. After Harry and Helene read together, though, Doris and the narrator/director immediately cast Helene as Stella.