By Manning Harris
fmanningh@gmail.com
“Yes, I have tricks in my pockets, I have things up my sleeve…I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.” How many students have read these opening words from Tennessee Williams’ legendary play “The Glass Menagerie,” on view at Georgia Shakespeare through October 30? Far more, I fear, than have seen the play, especially a production as poetic and powerful as this one.
It’s fitting that the company honor the playwright this year; he would have been 100 years old. “The Glass Menagerie” is the seminal work in the Williams canon, his first big success, when he knew “the leaves were turning to flame” in his career. “A Streetcar Named Desire” would follow three years later.
“Menagerie” is a play of almost ineffable delicacy, poignance, and intimacy. Without these things, it can shatter as easily as Laura’s famous little glass animals, her “menagerie.” Director Richard Garner understands this, as does the fine cast. The Conant theatre is quite large; that works against them a bit at first; e.g., the dinner table upstage seems awfully far away. Since the characters all feel trapped to some degree, a somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere seems called for. But the magic of Williams’ dialogue and the skill of the actors supersede a potentially serious problem.
Do you remember the Wingfields? The play is largely autobiographical: There’s Tom (the playwright’s real name, and played here by Joe Knezevich), the would-be writer caught in a soul-corroding job in a shoe warehouse; his slightly crippled, painfully shy sister Laura (Bethany Anne Lind); and their well-meaning yet selfish mother Amanda, based on “Miss Edwina,” Williams’ own mother, whom the playwright’s erstwhile pal Gore Vidal once called “one of Tennessee’s monster women.” Atlanta actress Mary Lynn Owen does the honors here. The play, incidentally, is set in pre-World War II St. Louis, when “the world was lit by lightning.”
Finally there is Jim, the gentleman caller who Tom says “represents the long delayed but always expected something that we live for,” played by Travis Smith.
In his original script, Williams called for the use of screens with legends on them. They have almost never been used, but scenic designer Kat Conley instead boldly tries to suggest shattered glass across the back wall. Ms. Conley is a brilliant designer, but this doesn’t really work. It’s too dominant and jarring; it reminds me of Studio 54 instead of a drab St. Louis apartment with a fire escape for an entrance; and it distracts from the characters. The audience is intelligent enough to realize we’re in the presence of delusions and broken dreams.
Happily, with a script this strong and with actors this good, it’s hard to miss the mark, and GA Shake doesn’t. Joe Knezevich is like the giant Antaeus of Greek mythology, who got stronger each time he touched the earth. He just keeps getting better; in a crazy way, he’s almost too good for this part. His confidence and polish are so magnetic, his diction and voice so effortless—he has success written all over him. Tom does not. Yet the actor breaks your heart as he chokes up in his final speech to Laura, whom he’s left. That moment alone is almost worth the price of admission.
Ms. Lind continues her streak of beautiful portraits, such as last season’s unforgettable performance in Alliance’s “Carapace.” When she says to Jim, “You see, I wasn’t acquainted with many—people,” there is more heartbreak. Travis Smith’s “gentleman caller” is touching and well-nigh flawless.
Mary Lynn Owen’s Amanda is a lovely performance; she’s especially effective in her scenes with Laura and as she turns on the Southern charm (alarmingly) with Jim. Her ferocity with Tom in their last scene is somewhat shocking.
“The Glass Menagerie” is a masterpiece of the American theatre. Don’t miss.
For tickets and information, visit www.gashakespeare.org.
