Thursday, March 20, 2008

Theater Review: The Glass Menagerie

By Lon Rogers of North Dallas Gazette

Friday night was special in several ways. It marked the opening performance of the closing production of the first season of Teatro delle Muse – the exciting new theatre at the Plano ArtCentre. Under the guidance of Sarah VC Henderson as Artistic Director the company has produced ten shows during its first season, ranging in scope from musicals to children’s shows to plays by local playwrights. The artistic accomplishments have been rewarded by receiving ten Column Award nominations and by winning of three of them -- Best Featured Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director of a Musical. With such versatility and strength, it was only fitting that the theater company concluded its season with the revival of the classic play of Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie. For this production producers Sarah Henderson and Rick Elina turned to the acclaimed director William (Bill) Earl Ray and to the talented cast of Vince McGill, Regina Washington, Naima Imani Lett and Alonzo Waller. This choice proved an exciting Friday night when a near sell-out audience was held on the edges of their seats by the stellar performances. What an opening night it was!

The Glass Menagerie is a family story set in the Depression Era of the ‘30s. Laura Wingfield, played flawlessly by Naima Imani Lett, is a young woman whose handicap in body and mind has made her a recluse. Her life consists mostly of listening to records on her Victrola and to furbishing her small glass figurines of animals – what her mother calls her “glass menagerie.” Regina Washington’s portrayal of the mother, Amanda Wingfield, brings to the stage a consummate range of acting – from the impatience with Laura’s handicap to her motherly concern that the young woman will some day be left alone, unmarried and vulnerable. Her anger is directed mostly toward her son, Tom Wingfield, played by Vince McGill, who inherited from his father the urge to roam and desert the little family. As Tom, Mr. McGill deftly catches the nuances of a man torn between his duty to his family and a yearning to fly far away in search of a life of his own. The rising tensions between mother and son form the backbone of the play and are highlighted by the mother’s desperation to find a suitor for her daughter. Finally, she prevails upon her son to bring home for dinner a gentleman caller, Jim O’Conner, played by Alonzo Waller. Mr. Waller finds just the right touch of sympathy for the demurring Laura while displaying the swagger of a man puffed up with a false pride in himself.

The play opens and closes with Mr. McGill’s Tom as a narrator whose words are spoken directly to the audience. This device, like bookends, encloses the play and announces finally that the story has ended, and that the script must be returned reluctantly to its proper place on the dusty shelf of timeless masterpieces.

Credit for success of the production must also be given to Joe Nagal whose lighting blends enough yellows and reds to bring out the warmth of the Wingfield’s modest home. Costumes designed by Aaron Patrick Turner are true to the period and give an unspoken boost to the portrayal of the characters. Especially remarkable is the gaudy evening gown of Amanda that captures the bittersweet sadness of an aging ingénue. Credit must also be extended to Ande Bewley as Property Mistress. The authenticity of the set is highlighted by such museum pieces as an old upright typewriter, a telephone and a radio of the period, and a Victrola record player. Kudos also to Ashley Robbins and Sarah Henderson as Scenic Artists, to Natalie Thrower as Stage Manager and to John Mallory Land as the master carpenter. Marc Rouse’s sound design completes the haunting ambiance of the piece.

It is said that music is more than the sum of its individual parts. Surely, that is true, for with the proper blending of voices we hear the magic of harmony and a cadence that sometimes resonates with the beating of our hearts. Acting is no different, as the actors under Mr. Ray’s direction proved Friday night. We were privileged not only to witness the superb telling of a story, but also to watch this remarkable cast bring us the magic of ensemble acting at its best. Together, they charmed us. They entertained and delighted us. Together, they made music.

Pegasus News content partner - North Dallas Gazette

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• Arts > Fine Arts > Theater > Plays