The Milwaukee Repertory Theater's smaller stage, the Stiemke, is typically reserved for works that 1) provoke the audience's imagination, 2) have a risque or unconventional theme or 3) are more likely to pack a dramatic punch in an intimate space.
While The Glass Menagerie can hardly be called "unconventional," it's one of the best-known plays in the contemporary repertoire -- it apparently qualifies for the Stiemke by using all-black cast. This might raise higher expectations than the production delivers. Audiences looking for greater understanding of the "black experience" probably won't find it here.
Tennessee Williams' dialogue, characters and setting remain intact. Nothing has changed. The family's matriarch is still the vivacious, clever and cruel Amanda Wingfield, who must raise her two children in a seedy St. Louis apartment after the departure of her husband, a charmer who was "a telephone man who fell in love with long distance."
As a single mother, Amanda manages to barely scrape by, depending mainly on her son's financial support. Tom, the son, is a dreamy loner who can't find a better job in these Depression years than as a warehouse laborer. He hates his job. He is restless and eager to experience the world. One suspects he would have followed in his father's footsteps long ago if not for Laura, his vulnerable, childlike sister. Slightly crippled, she is more psychologically than physically damaged. Laura (Lanise Antoine Shelley) is shy to the point where she's basically afraid of her own shadow. She spends her days wandering between the Victrola and her cherished collection of glass ornaments, each shaped like an animal.
The character of Tom is usually played by a slightly built man who frequently disappears from his mother's stern words. Here, Tom is a tall, athletically built man. He looks strong enough to work in a warehouse; indeed, it is his longing to write poetry that is a bit much to swallow.
What makes this production such a standout is the humor revealed by director Jacqueline Moscou. Tom takes every opportunity to mimic his overbearing mother. As soon as Amanda starts musing about her storied past, it elicits a "here we go again" look from Tom (Timothy McCuen Piggee). Despite these lighthearted moments, director Moscou doesn't shrink from examining the explosive love/hate relationship between mother and son. In them, we begin to understand why the father left so long ago. As Amanda, Brenda Thomas is beguiling, coquettish and strong-willed. Once she sets her mind on finding a "gentleman caller" for Laura, she becomes single-minded in the extreme. Tom attempts to please her by inviting home a co-worker. This puts Amanda to task as she makes numerous "provisions" for this important event. One of these "provisions," which evokes outright laughter from the audience, is the dressy outfit Amanda selects for herself. It is a billowing white gown decorated with a light blue sash at the waist. The dress may have been appropriate for a 15-year-old, but it's basically an embarrassment on the considerably less youthful Amanda.
Laura, in contrast, wears a lovely, contemporary-styled dress that shows off her figure. With her hair fixed and wearing her new dress and shoes, Laura emerges from her cocoon as a beautiful butterfly. Scared at first, Laura eventually warms to the gentle attentions of the gentleman caller. We even see her regularly gloomy face burst into a lovely smile. The candlelit scene between them is among the production's best. It leads to the play's heartbreaking climax, which is equally well executed. As Jim Connor, the "gentleman caller," Wayne T. Carr makes a relatively brief but memorable appearance. Carr seems more sincere, more "gentlemanly" and less self-indulgent than one usually sees in his character.
Although the entire cast is mesmerizing, one could wish for a bit less drama from Piggee. He could easily pull back a bit and still retain his humorous touch. It would arguably make his character more in synch with the tone set by the other cast members. This is a mere quibble, however. The production has a lot going for it, and it's well worth a look.
Geoffrey M. Curley's set transforms the play's gritty neighborhood into a softer, more pleasing environment. Alex Tecoma's costumes are right on the mark, as is Jason Fassl's lighting.
