2019: The Glass Menagerie

Artwork courtesy of Keith Shackleton @ Valiance Graphic Design | Photography by: Myles White

Director’s Notes

Reinterpreting The Glass Menagerie for a contemporary audience has been playing on my mind for some time. The issues of this 1945 text sadly, are still relevant. A family fractured by abandonment and the chaos that ensues are too frequently realised. The patterns and cycles of repetitive behaviours, those mimicked or learned that in turn further wound are very real and powerful societal issues.

Tennessee Williams clearly states that this is a memory play. That concept of ‘remembering’ individually and collectively, is what I have used to inform the design of this production. The action takes place inside the labyrinth of sinews of Tom’s mind and therefore, his memory. This memory is monochromatic and with that there is a rigidity that Tom recalls about his earlier life, its monotony and rhythmic tedium that is suffocating and why he feels as though he must escape.

He watches his younger self and re-lives the experiences, and in doing so he hopes to find some shaft of light, some fragment that alleviates the guilt he carries for abandoning Laura.

“I think the rest of the play will explain itself…”

Acknowledgements

Thank you Danielle, Andrew, James, Donna and Jake for their commitment to the this interpretation and for their talents, generosity and time. What a privilege to have worked with this talented cast whose depth and breadth, energy and skills have built this theatrical moment. Their creative synergy has given this work the soul it needed.

What a delight is has been to work with GRADS, a thoroughly organised and professional community theatre group. I am indebted to the very talented and hard working committee for their contribution to this production, particularly to Myles Wright for his evocative and hypnotic soundtrack, the theme of The Glass Menagerie. To Meredith Ford for the design of palette of the costumes; to Neale Paterson, President of GRADS; to Stage Manager, Seanne Sparrow, Vice President and organizational guru; to Chris Thomas and Thomas Dimmick for their help with advertising and marketing; to Keith Shackleton for his brilliantly interpreted poster design, and to all the other members of the committee for their help and enthusiasm.

I would like to thank David Hobbs and the staff at the Dolphin Theatre UWA for their professionalism and technical support in helping us bring The Glass Menagerie to life in the space.

I would also like to thank Andrew Matthews, Carmen Vasiu and Adrian Scott, professional colleagues of mine from Fenceline Theatre Company at Swan Christian College for again supporting me in another creative project.