[NEohioPAL]Rave Review for The Glass Menagerie at Actors' Summit

Sun Oct 26 10:17:59 PST 2003

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Posted on Sun, Oct. 26, 2003
Dark lighting just right for `Glass Menagerie'
Fine characterizations in Actors' Summit production of painful play
By Kerry Clawson
Beacon Journal staff writer

Strikingly dark lighting in Actors' Summit's The Glass Menagerie sets the 
tone for this unhappy tale of desperation, guilt and unfulfilled desire.

Tennessee Williams' famous work, first staged in late 1944, is still haunting 
to audiences today, just as his main character Tom is haunted by the memory 
of his fragile sister. I kept waiting for the stage to brighten up but it never 
did. There's no escaping that this isn't a bright story.

Under the very thoughtful direction of Neil Thackaberry, the Actors' Summit 
cast brings fine characterizations to this dark and painful memory play. Actor 
Peter Voinovich sets the tone of bitterness and guilt in Tom's introduction, 
as he narrates the tale of his troubled young adulthood in St. Louis with his 
mother and sister. Williams' bleakly poetic narrations are beautifully potent 
from the start.

The gloomy lighting amplifies the painful memories from the dark recesses of 
Tom's troubled mind. Even when Voinovich switches from narrator to play the 
role of young Tom, he gets up from the dining room table and converses with his 
mother, Amanda, from complete darkness in the living room. The character may 
be trying to create a distance, but the pain is still very real.

Mary Jane Nottage and Kristie Lang offer sadly beautiful characterizations as 
mother Amanda and daughter Laura. Lang has a very slight limp as Laura, but 
her character is more emotionally and socially crippled than physically 
disabled.

We see through Lang that Laura has been introverted for so long, she's afraid 
to ache and long, like her ever-suffering mother so openly does. Laura is an 
innocent who has a dreamy quality to her at times. Lang is very effective 
showing how frightened and apologetic Laura is, with her head bowed down, 
tremulous voice, hesitant body language and hunched shoulders.

The restless Tom hungers for adventure so badly, he can barely express his 
thirst. There's nothing soft about Voinovich's performance as the annoyed Tom 
mocks his mother and gets into yelling matches with her in some emotionally 
violent scenes.
The story centers around all of Amanda's hopes being placed in the arrival of 
a gentleman caller for her daughter. This scene between Laura and Jim (Rick 
Shartzer) is the most gripping, sweetly sad one in the play.

We are glad that Laura feels pretty and desirable for the first time in her 
life, if only for a brief moment. Lang is most powerful here, as Laura 
brightens up and is swept away by Jim, holding on to his kiss dreamily.

Each character has an escape route from his or her dreary, disappointing 
life. Laura has her records and glass collection, and Tom has his movies. The 
domineering Amanda is constantly planning for the future, but she's trapped in her 
memories of her youthful, Southern belle popularity.

Nottage's Amanda ranges from wistfully dreamy to pathetically sad. She's 
selfish, but we care about her because she loves her children.

Most of us know what's coming at the end of this classic, but we're all 
deflated as both Laura and Amanda's dreams are shattered. This production's ending 
is both emotionally touching and visually effective.

Williams has referred to The Glass Menagerie as his ``first quiet play.'' But 
the emotions in this work are anything but quiet.

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<DIV>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Posted on Sun, Oct. 26, 2003<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"><STRONG><FONT size=3D3>Dark lighting just right for `Glass Menagerie'<o=
:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"><FONT size=3D3><STRONG>Fine characterizations in Actors' Summit product=
ion of painful play<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">By Kerry Clawson<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Beacon Journal staff writer<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Strikingly dark lighting in Actors' Summit's The Glass Menagerie sets t=
he tone for this unhappy tale of desperation, guilt and unfulfilled desire.<=
o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Tennessee Williams' famous work, first staged in late 1944, is still ha=
unting to audiences today, just as his main character Tom is haunted by the=20=
memory of his fragile sister. I kept waiting for the stage to brighten up bu=
t it never did. There's no escaping that this isn't a bright story.<o:p></o:=
p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Under the very thoughtful direction of Neil Thackaberry, the Actors' Su=
mmit cast brings fine characterizations to this dark and painful memory play=
. Actor Peter Voinovich sets the tone of bitterness and guilt in Tom's intro=
duction, as he narrates the tale of his troubled young adulthood in St. Loui=
s with his mother and sister. Williams' bleakly poetic narrations are beauti=
fully potent from the start.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">The gloomy lighting amplifies the painful memories from the dark recess=
es of Tom's troubled mind. Even when Voinovich switches from narrator to pla=
y the role of young Tom, he gets up from the dining room table and converses=
 with his mother, Amanda, from complete darkness in the living room. The cha=
racter may be trying to create a distance, but the pain is still very real.<=
o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Mary Jane Nottage and Kristie Lang offer sadly beautiful characterizati=
ons as mother Amanda and daughter Laura. Lang has a very slight limp as Laur=
a, but her character is more emotionally and socially crippled than physical=
ly disabled.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">We see through Lang that Laura has been introverted for so long, she's=20=
afraid to ache and long, like her ever-suffering mother so openly does. Laur=
a is an innocent who has a dreamy quality to her at times. Lang is very effe=
ctive showing how frightened and apologetic Laura is, with her head bowed do=
wn, tremulous voice, hesitant body language and hunched shoulders.<o:p></o:p=
></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">The restless Tom hungers for adventure so badly, he can barely express=20=
his thirst. There's nothing soft about Voinovich's performance as the annoye=
d Tom mocks his mother and gets into yelling matches with her in some emotio=
nally violent scenes.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">The story centers around all of Amanda's hopes being placed in the arri=
val of a gentleman caller for her daughter. This scene between Laura and Jim=
 (Rick Shartzer) is the most gripping, sweetly sad one in the play.<o:p></o:=
p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">We are glad that Laura feels pretty and desirable for the first time in=
 her life, if only for a brief moment. Lang is most powerful here, as Laura=20=
brightens up and is swept away by Jim, holding on to his kiss dreamily.<o:p>=
</o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Each character has an escape route from his or her dreary, disappointin=
g life. Laura has her records and glass collection, and Tom has his movies.=20=
The domineering Amanda is constantly planning for the future, but she's trap=
ped in her memories of her youthful, Southern belle popularity.<o:p></o:p></=
FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Nottage's Amanda ranges from wistfully dreamy to pathetically sad. She'=
s selfish, but we care about her because she loves her children.<o:p></o:p><=
/FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Most of us know what's coming at the end of this classic, but we're all=
 deflated as both Laura and Amanda's dreams are shattered. This production's=
 ending is both emotionally touching and visually effective.<o:p></o:p></FON=
T></P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New"></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Courier=20=
New">Williams has referred to The Glass Menagerie as his ``first quiet play.=
'' But the emotions in this work are anything but quiet.<o:p></o:p></FONT></=
P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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