2008 Woodie Awards
'Memory' play mirrors life experiences
Tennessee Williams''The Glass Menagerie' transcends reality, challenges tradition
Katherine Smalley
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Culture
- Page 1 of 2 next >
|
"The play is memory," he says. "Being a memory play it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic."
The play is "The Glass Menagerie," written by American playwright Tennessee Williams and first performed in 1944.
UTC's theatre department is presenting the play as part of their 2007-2008 season, and it opens Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. in the Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre in the Fine Arts Center. The play also shows Nov. 10, 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. and November 14 and 15 at 7 p.m.
Gaye Jeffers, professor in the theatre department and director of "The Glass Menagerie," called Williams "one of America's greatest playwrights" and encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunity to see a performance of one of his plays.
"It's just beautiful writing," she said, "and the chance to see a play of Tennessee Williams is always a treat."
She said the play was William's first commercial success and one of his most popular plays. "It really put him on the map, so to speak," she explained.
"It's the most autobiographical play of Tennessee Williams," Jeffers said. "It's truly based on his family and struggles that he went through and continued to go through until he died."
According to Jeffers, the play is still relevant to the lives of people today. "We still look at the play and the struggles that these characters go through, and we still see ourselves in them," she said.
The play is told from the perspective of Tom Wingfield, who is played by Sam Fort, a theatre major. Fort has previously played other roles, including Rudy in "Great to See You" and Doc Porter in "Crimes of the Heart." He said he also helps with set building and other technical aspects of theatre.
Fort described "The Glass Menagerie" as "a play of human desperation."
Jeffers compared the play to a flashback to moments in a person's life when he or she made choices that may have later become regrets. "It's those things that continue to sort of permeate our memory as we grow older," she said.
Fort said he would encourage students to attend theatre performances both on and off campus. "Theatre is a living thing," he said. "It isn't like the movies. I enjoy theatre because you sit there and these people experiencing the different situations are right there in front of you.
