Is The Glass Menagerie All its Really Cracked Up To Be ?

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:40am

Buzz and Your Thoughts Appreciated.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:42am

I haven't read it since I was in high school, but I remember thinking that it was better on paper than I could imagine it being on stage.

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:45am

Yeah i read it the other day in anticipation of the revival, and after watching Broadway The Golden Age's entire section on Laurette Taylor, It caught me offguard, it struck me as having more of an O'neill vibe and not the rich southern drama of Cat And Streetcar. Although this too was written about a family, it was the most realistic family unit , one like most families which Williams wrote aboutl. At the same time however, I wasnt as interested as I was in Cat or streetcar. What a conundrum..

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:53am

At the time I'd read Menagerie, I hadn't known anything about Cat or Streetcar, which helped because I didn't go in with any expectations. I suppose it just didn't seem like there was much of a climax to the show, nor were any of the characters fleshed out very much.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:55am

um, Tiff, the play is flawless. A great production of it is breathtaking.

Most mediocre to poor productions are what's out there and like with many shows, give it a bad rap.

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:55am

Yeah, i guess its unfortunate I had read the other two first. While the other two seemed so explosive, menagerie didnt even seem to be nuanced, . as you stated there was no real expansion of the characters, or any empathy either. The character of Amanda barely touches on the yearning for the past, which Brick and Blanche do in Cat and Streetcar respectively. i thought about reading it again, just trying to figure out if Ill See The revival, jessica lange, hmm.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:56am

Seriously, the play has EVERYthing you guys are saying it does not.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:57am

um, JRB, good to know that the term "IMHO" doesn't mean much anymore.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:58am

sorry to hear that a debate or discussion isn't allowed on a message board.

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 1:59am

JRB,

I consider myself intuitive, and while I found strains of what we talked about, i wasnt overwhelmed. Id be interested to hear what you have to say , about "us" missing it. Was all of this somehow overlooked because it was a "memory" play, something which did not follow a conventional setup as far as setting or characters?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:02am

No, I suspect you need to see a production of it. Sometimes plays just don't work by reading them--they need to be acted. There is so much subtext and great drama in the play. All Amanda does is pine for her glory days and pray that she can give Laura what she never truly had. Tom is a time bomb waiting to explode--particularly in that he is a homosexual struggling with that secret life as well as wanting to escape from this cage of an existence he is in.

It's a play filled with poetry. You should definitely see the revival.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:02am

Well, "um, Tiff, the play is flawless." and has "EVERYthing you guys are saying it does not." without any back up and fairly extreme wording does come off as close-minded and a bit condescending towards me, whether it was meant to be perceived that way is up to you to clarify.

I'm definitely up for a good discussion as long as my ideas will actually be heard and considered by others with similar and differing opinions. Frankly, my mind's not made up so I'm up for hearing input.

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 02:02 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:05am

With Leveaux at the helm, I am expecting good things. I might be inclined to agree with " must be seen, not read". I read I Am My Own Wife twice, and was not enamored either way, until I saw the production on a whim. I need not go into it, but you can imagine how i felt walking out of the Lyceum. That had actually been the first straight play I had seen since Eyre's production of the Crucible over at the Virginia, i believe. Needless to say, I am looking for another one.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:07am

I actually enjoyed reading Menagerie, but found that its subtext would be difficult to really put forth on stage. I'd look forward to hearing reviews about the revival (correct me if I'm wrong: Is Dallas Roberts still in the cast? Who rounds it out?)

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 02:07 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:09am

Dallas Roberts- Tom, Jessica Lange- Amanda, Sarah Paulson- Laura, Josh Lucas- Jim The Gentleman Caller

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:10am

Well, as long as the production avoids certain cliches and wrongful choices*, it should be stunning.

A lot of people play Amanda as syrupy, frail, and like Blanche from The Golden Girls when, in fact, Amanda is tough and a little gritty---she is truly Tennessee's mother. And Elizabeth Ashley gave the first truly brilliant performance of this character in many years when she did it at the Alley Theatre. She channeled her mother, who Tennessee would joke was more Amanda than his own mother.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:11am

But, Tiff--have you ever seen a stage production? Trust me, the subtext is EASY to work with. It's a sublime piece of writing.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:12am

Well I've enjoyed Dallas's past work (and I wish I'd seen him in Nocturne!), and he'd be the one I'd like to see bring life to that character. As for Josh Lucas as the Gentleman Caller, it seems like a pretty thankless role (really just there to create a conflict), so I'm surprised they'd get someone with a relatively high mainstream profile to do it.

I'm not familiar with Sarah Paulson though. What else has she been in?

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:13am

You keep making allusions to cliches to be avoided , correct ideas, etc etc. what are some examples,?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:15am

Hello--I just went into one--the portrayal of Amanda.

Robert Sella and Anne Dudek were in that same production as Ashley--they were both a revelation as well. I watched that production and it felt like I had never seen or read the play before. The words felt new.

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 02:15 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:16am

I apologize, I was thinking more in regards to set design, etc, and i guess i failed to write that down.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:16am

No, I've never seen a stage production in my life. Why would I? I'm only on a theatre message board, not to mention I write theatre reviews for local productions that I pull out of my ass.

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 02:16 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:18am

Why IS that a stupid question, honey? I have never had the chance to see a stage production of Streetcar or Cat. Those rolling eyes are gonna pop out the back of yo head!

The great thing about Glass is that a director can get as wildly creative as he or she pleases--it is a memory play. There is much room for magic.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:18am

THE GLASS MENAGERIE is actually my favourite Williams play; I don't understand what the big deal is with Streetcar (can someone enlighten me? Maybe I just missed the point).

There's a production of THE GLASS MENAGERIE opening in Toronto later this month, for those in the area. It should be good; it's brought over from Montreal, where it won a few awards. I'll report back about how effective or ineffective THE GLASS MENAGERIE in the 21st century.

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 02:18 AM

[broadwaygiant19122]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:19am

I , myself, have never actually seen a Williams production. I was in NYC when CAT was playing, but saw Wicked instead. Say what you will. Was CAT any good? I love the play, but had not read it at the time.