by Madison Matous
Tennessee Williams; southern classic, The Glass Menagerie, is going on its last stretch of performances by the StageCenter Theatre in Bryan. Your last chances to catch the show are from October 15 – 17.Tennessee Williams’ roots were planted deep in the south, which is where he drew much of his inspiration for his plays.
For The Glass Menagerie, the script is not just about the dynamics of a poor family, but is in fact a bigger statement on the state of the post-Civil War American South – a theme played out in the differences of a mother and daughter.
To look into the plot and development of this storied classic, you begin with Laura Wingfield – a painfully shy young woman with her head in the clouds and a mother (Amanda) stuck in the past and who is desperately trying to find Laura a suitable beau. Prodded by his mother, Tom Wingfield (Laura’s brother) asks his co-worker Jim over to dinner as a potential suitor for his sister Laura. What begins to unfold next is the subject matter for the remainder of the play.
The Glass Menagerie first premiered in Chicago in 1944. After a rough start, the show caught on once critics began to respond with acclamation. A year later, the show hit Broadway in New York, a release that catapulted Tennessee Williams to fame as his first successful play and led him to become one of the greatest playwrights in American history. The Glass Menagerie has seen various renditions, from the small stage to Broadway, radio waves to the silver screen, Williams’ original hit has seen many portrayals and all unique in their own right. Be sure to make it out to Bryan to catch it at the StageCenter before the final curtain call.
