Helene is a beautiful young woman, who has been in North Crawford for eight weeks. She works for the telephone company, traveling to towns to train workers on the new machines the company is using. The narrator meets Helene and asks her to come audition for A Streetcar Named Desire. The narrator is hoping Helene will be good for Stella, the young woman in the play. However, Helene's audition is not good, even when Doris coaches her. She is unable to access any feelings. Helene expresses how upset she is about this when she comes back later to read with Harry. She has never been in love and doesn't know what's wrong with her. When Harry comes in, though, he is already in character as Stanley, and his effect on Helene is extreme.