The Glass Menagerie

The Glass Menagerie is playing at the Belasco Theatre located at 111 west 44th Street. The play runs two hours five minutes with one intermission. It closes on July 2, 2017.

It was written by Tennessee Williams and was his first successful play.

The play premiered at the Broadway Playhouse Theatre on March 3, 1944 and played until June 29, 1946. It then moved to the Royale Theatre from July 1, 1946 to August 3, 1946. The last Broadway production was at the Booth Theatre, February 23, 2014. It was nominated for seven Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards.

Sam Gold is the director. He won a Tony Award for Fun Home (2015).

Sally Field won an Academy Award for Places in the Heart (1985) and Norma Rae (1979). She has won and been nominated for various role in television and movies, too many to mention. Sally started her career in television with Gidget (1965-1966) and The Flying Nun (1967-1970).

Joe Montello is an actor and director. He won a Tony Award for as director for Assassins (2004) and Take Me Out (2003). Joe won two Drama Desk Awards for Take Me Out (director 2003) and Angeles in America: Millennium Approaches (actor 1993). He was nominated for a Tony Award as director for The Humans (2016), Glengarry Glen Ross(1995) and for actor Angeles in America: Millennium Approaches (1993).

Tom Wingfield (Joe Mantello) comes on stage from the stairs on the right side of the stage. He tells the audience he is the narrator of the play and is also in the story. His mother Amanda (Sally Field) is trying to bring up his sister Laura (Madison Ferris) on stage. She brings up her wheel chair first and then Laura.

Amanda thought her daughter was going to school every day. Laura quite school because her hands shook in typing class. When Amanda was her daughter’s age she bragged she had seventeen suiters. The one she chose was the father of her children. He up and left without warning. She got a post card that said hi, bye.

Her son Tom (Joe Mantello) is the provider, working in a factory. He loves to write on a type writer. Amanda either bothers him when he his typing by talking or pulling the paper out. His only outlet is to go to the movies at night so he tells his mother. But at times he goes to the local bar.

Amanda is putting pressure on him to find a man for his sister. If someone marries her she won’t have to worry about her. Tom brings home his only friend from work Jim O’Connor (Finn Wittrock).As it turns out Laura had a crush on him in high school.

The lights go out because Tom used the utility money for something else. Candles are lit.

This is the basis of the story. As usual I am not giving you details to spoil anything.

I have never seen the play before.

The set is sparse. There is a table off center to the left. A shelf to the left has props on it that are brought on by Tom or Amanda. To the right is a crate with record albums. An old record player is on top. Who needs any thing more.

Three quarters into the play the cast is at the table, you hear rain. All of a sudden rain is pouring in the background. It’s incredible.

This is a show worth seeing. Most of the scenes revolve around Tom and Amanda. Joe Mantello and Sally Field do justice to their characters. They both do an outstanding performance.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on a photo, click on back to album the back to gallery for this and other shows.