Cigarettes, yelling and a handful of awkward moments transported audience members into Tennessee William’s loosely autobiographical play about his turbulent family life in Theatre VCU’s February production of “The Glass Menagerie.”
As he switched back and forth between narrating his memories and acting in them, Charley Raintree (portraying Tom Wingfield) made the changes seem effortless as his character spoke to the audience one moment and furiously fought with his mother Amanda (Lorri Lindberg) the next.
Just as necessary as the delivery of time period juxtaposition was the audience’s use of imagination. The audience understood the family ate food off its dinner plates, even though there was no food to be seen, or that the characters were walking out a non-existent door.
Not all was left to the imagination however, as the cast’s impeccable costumes truly resembled clothing from the 1930s, and a glowing picture in the background of the obviously absent father reminded the family and audience that the past is constantly conflicting with the present.
Even though the theme of inner-struggle, which all the characters faced, is hardly a light one, “The Glass Menagerie” left room for comedy in the midst of all the drama. Lindberg punched in extra comedy when her character would make the same monotonous phone call to try and get magazine subscribers to renew their subscriptions when her children were not around to be nagged.
Lindberg – a definite chameleon of her craft – uncannily reminded the audience of a typical badgering mother. Tom and Laura (Jenny Hann) would like to shake some sense into their mother.
“The Glass Menagerie” even managed to bring another character into the mix, Jim O’Connor (Alex Gerber), just when we were getting so cozy with our dysfunctional family. Brought in as a painfully shy love interest for Laura, Jim encompasses the confidence most people lack. Whether you love or hate the character of Jim, O’Connor and Hann shine in a scene where Alex tries to encourage Laura to dance a waltz.
O’Connor’s portrayal of Alex rightfully makes the audience cringe a little, reminding us of that person who excelled in everything in high school. Hann’s character (limping and quivering around the stage in a very believable fashion) grew from a shy, reserved girl to one who was coming out of her shell.
What should be remembered most about “The Glass Menagerie” is its human element. As easy as it might be to initially judge these characters, they are much more than just one-dimensional. Just like life, this play does not wrap everything into a nice, little box but instead leaves us pondering it.
“The Glass Menagerie” runs Feb. 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at 3:00 p.m. High School Matinees are at 10 a.m., Tues. Feb. 17. General admission tickets are $20. $18 for seniors and VCU faculty and staff, and $8 for VCU students with a valid ID. Other students with ID, $12, and groups of more than 15, $18 per person. For more information call 828-6026.