Again, this is probably not all of the previous action, it is just what I found.
Previous Action:
Blanche lost Belle Reve estate after the deaths of her and Stella's remaing relatives. It was lost on a foreclosed mortgage.
She has taken a leave of absence from teaching "for her nerves" but later it is discovered it was because she slept with a 17 year old student.
Stella is pregnant.
Blanche was married before to a man named Allan, but after she discovered he was homosexual, he committed suicide.
After losing Belle Reve, Blanche lived in a cheap motel, and would bring back lovers to make her feel less empty.