The Glass Menagerie

DRAMATURG NOTES Tennessee Williams’ life is characterized by loss and hopelessness that came as a result of tense relationships, psychological trauma, deaths of close family members, and the lack of authentic community. His life in many ways parallels the lives of Americans in the 1930s and ’40s, for they also recognized the instability of society and the uncertainty that lay in the future. With the Depression barely past and World War II looming, Americans suddenly became aware of their inability to control their lives or country. Various artists, including Williams, sought to capture this feeling of impotency and portray methods to deal with it. The Glass Menagerie advocates escapism as the predominant answer to coping with the problems of society. The imaginative world of Tom’s memory and of Laura’s glass animals depicts the need for people to create a world of fantasy and illusion, one which allows them to temporarily escape from present reality. However, Williams ultimately recognizes that reality must be dealt with, since the world of illusion is prone to destruction. By the end of the play, both the characters and the audience suddenly realize the utter brokenness of life and become willing to look reality square in the face, eager to find a more permanent solution to the problems of their lives. Julianne Sandberg, dramaturg CAST Amanda Shelly Sterner* Tom Justin Harrison Duff Laura Annalise Hickok Jim Michael Domeny ARTISTIC STAFF Director Matthew Michael Moore Designer Donald N.C. Jones* Lighting Designer Robert L. Clements