'The Glass Menagerie' Glows

By Kenneth Robbins
The Shreveport Times
Special to The Times
krobbins@latech.edu

There are two fundamental expectations accompanying the opportunity to experience a production of "The Glass Menagerie," Tennessee Williams' ground-breaking drama from 1944-45.

One, will the play produce the kind of nostalgia that is inherent in such a well-known and oft-seen theatrical piece? And two, will it provide new discoveries, new insights or new ways of processing Williams' unabashedly personal memoir?

The two questions are diametrically opposed. Can one experience one or the other or most unlikely both?

It is clear from the opening moments of River City Repertory Theatre's production, directed and designed by Patric McWilliams, that the answer is one: The production is an excursion down memory lane as Tom (Shreveport native Logan Sledge) invites us into the world of the play through memory. He introduces us to his mother, Amanda Wingfield (portrayed by Donna McKechnie), and sister, Laura (brought to life by Ellen Lindsay). There are no surprises but much nostalgia.

In its premiere, "The Glass Menagerie" revolutionized the American theatre. There is much in the story of longing and loss that is in touch with today's fast-paced lifestyle.
Rather than rely on traditional sets, lighting and music, the play frees the actors and subsequently the audience to enter the world of the Wingfield family with few encumbrances. This world has been beautifully rendered by Patric McWilliams, who also directs this talented group with confidence.

Over the years, revolutionary aspects of Williams' drama have become as traditional as the conventions it replaced. At the heart of these "new" conventions is the ever-present photo of the long-lost patriarch of the family. It is impossible to forget that the man has deserted his wife and two children not to return, a fate Tom himself has adopted. How nice it would be to allow this rakish individual to slip into oblivion, but Williams will not permit it. Instead, his sardonic face becomes the fifth character in this play, unfortunately.

It is worth the price of admission and a trip to the Scottish Rite Cathedral, where the play is being produced, to see the work of Donna McKechnie, Tony Award-winning star of the Broadway musical, "A Chorus Line," and her well-cast and highly talented support ensemble.

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Her Amanda is a manipulating but lovable matron thriving off memories of her youth that are not only suspect but in touch with the artificial world of film that her son, Tom, finds so captivating. She is an audience pleaser, which poses some problems. She turns her son's decisions to desert her and sister Laura into an action a bit more rakish than is customary.

Logan Sledge's Tom is pulled apart by the decisions Williams forces him to make. His caring for his sister is deeply felt, a love that is not only commendable but difficult to comprehend when he leaves her without help or hope. Sledge's talent is tested by Williams' character creation, and he comes through with exceptional results.

Ellen Lindsay is a traditional Laura, plagued by the illness of pathological shyness. And her gentleman caller, Jim, played with energy and commitment by Youree McBride, Jr., is most effective when he allows Laura's genuine goodness to impact him.

"The Glass Menagerie" is a production that Shreveport should welcome with open arms. It is as true a depiction of Williams' vision as one is apt to find.

Though perhaps dated in its techniques, the play is lovingly realized by McWilliams, McKechnie, et al and is a tribute to River City Repertory Theatre's dedication to bring the best of professional theatre to the region.