THE GLASS MENAGERIE

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One of the great offerings of the Grand Theatre is a wonderful space: the McManus Stage. In striking contrast to the opulent Spriet Stage, the McManus is a highly transform-able theatre designed for intimate experiences.

This production of The Glass Menagerie underscores our commitment to producing our own shows. Everything you see in this production has been created in our shops and rehearsed in our rehearsal hall. The Glass Menagerie was our intentional choice to launch these types of productions, as this play would typically be seen on a larger scale stage like the one upstairs. But here, you will experience this master-piece in a most dangerous and excit-ing way — up close. You’ll be sitting among the words and ideas of one of the world’s great playwrights. Let the intensity of the ideas wash over you. 

Everything is possible here on this stage. Over the next few years, we will continue to explore bringing audiences close to powerful stories in the form of either new plays or incredible classics.

Welcome.

dennis garnhum a rtistic director

mcmanus stage, april 3 to 14, 2018 opening nigth april 4

the glass menagerie

By Tennessee Williams Directed by Megan Watson

Jim O’Connor ALEX ANDER CROWTHER Tom Wingfield STEPHEN JACKMAN-TORKOFF Laura Wingfield AMY KEATING Amanda Wingfield SAR AH ORENSTEIN

Production Designer NICK BLAIS Music & Sound Designer CHRISTOPHER STANTON Stage Manager TAMAR A VUCKOVIC Apprentice Stage Manager COLE VINCENT

The Glass Menagerie is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc., on behalf of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.

Cover: Girl’s Head by Lucian Freud, © Lucian Freud Archive / Bridgeman Images.

The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited,

a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under United States copyright law. For more information, please visit www.samuelfrench.com/whitepaper

government funders

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

I find it difficult to talk about this play because one of its most powerful and enduring qualities is its complex representation of the human condition. It refuses to be pinned down. It is considered one of the best plays in the English language canon because we cannot easily define why it commands our attention, why Tom’s struggle gets lodged in our hearts. In examining the play, all of the characters are love-able and loathe-able. In that dichotomy, aptly penned by Williams, we are asked to face our own incongruities. I love that I cannot find the hero or the villain in this text and for that reason it has been our work to bring complexity, dimension, and truth to these characters, who will intimately surround you during the play by as they strive to become “better.” They are all desperately seeking something more out of life and that urge is where we find the vulnerability and the messiness that make this play irresistible.

Another enduring gift of this play is that it is set in the landscape of Tom’s memory. Just as memory distorts, highlights, and fixates on certain moments in time, cinema — Tom’s chosen escape — provides a palette that allows us to meld together snapshots of his past with the glamour of early Hollywood.

Williams’ audience in post-war America was hungry for a play that asked ques-tions about identity, purpose, and personal fulfillment. In the second half of the twentieth and first part of the twenty-first century, identity politics have been a dominant force. It occurs to me that Williams’ plays mark early representations of our pursuit to understand “self.” This play has been a process of reflecting on where we have been and asking the question of where we might go next.

megan watson

We would like to acknowledge the history of the traditional territory in which the Grand Theatre operates. We would also like to respect the longstanding relationships of the three local First Nations groups of this land and place in Southwestern Ontario. The three First Nations communities closest in proximity to the Grand are the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation (part of the Anishinaabe), the Oneida Nation of the Thames (part of the Haudenosaunee) and the Munsee-Delaware Nation (part of the Leni-Lunaape).

Alexander Crowther Jim O’Connorfor the grand theatre: Debut. theatre credits (selected): Macbeth: Walking Shadows (Shakespeare in the Ruff); 52 Pick-Up (Toronto Fringe); Lady Julie (Apuka Theatre). film & tv credits (selected): Georgetown (Dir. Christoph Waltz); American Hangman (Dir. Wilson Coneybeare); The Girlfriend Experience (Starz). other: Graduate mfa program, American Conservatory Theater; Graduate Bfa Program, University of Windsor.

Stephen Jackman-Torkoff Tom Wingfieldfor the grand theatre: Debut. theatre credits (selected): Black Boys (Buddies in Bad Times); Angels in America (Arts Club); Botticelli in the Fire / Sunday in Sodom (CanStage); You Never Can Tell, Pygmalion (Shaw). other: Graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada; poet for the Queer Songbook Orchestra.

Amy Keating Laura Wingfieldfor the grand theatre: Debut. theatre credits (selected): A City (Necessary Angel); Hand to God (rmtc); Wormwood (Tarragon); I, Claudia (tift); TomorrowLove™, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Passion Play, Mr. Marmalade (Outside the March); The Amish Project (GreenLight Arts); New Jerusalem (hgJt); After Miss Julie (RedOne Theatre); Pacamambo (Canadian Rep); Water Under the Bridge (Carousel Players). film & tv credits (selected): Killjoys (Space). other: Founding member & Artistic Associate of Outside the March, www.outsidethemarch.ca.

Sarah Orenstein Amanda Wingfieldfor the grand theatre: The Ladies Foursome. theatre credits (selected): My Name is Asher Lev, The Normal Heart, God of Carnage (Studio 180); Stuff Happens (Studio 180 / Mirvish); Shakespeare in Love, Possible Worlds, Zastrozzi (Stratford); Scorched, Patience, Collected Works of Billy the Kid (Tarragon); 13 seasons at Shaw Festival including The Millionaress, Counsellor at Law, Heartbreak House. film & tv credits (selected): Orphan Black, Fugitive Pieces, Reign, The Calling. other: Recipient of rBc Emerging Director 2017; Dora Award — Best Actress 1998; Ottawa Critics Circle —Best Actress Award 2004.

Megan Watson Directorfor the grand theatre: A Christmas Carol (Associate Director); High School Projects — Shakespeare: The Mixtape, Julius Caesar; PlayWrights Cabaret 2016 & 2017; A Christmas Story (Assistant Director). theatre credits (selected): Director — A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in the Ruff);  Agency (Yell Rebel); Extremophiles (Summerworks); Far Away (Toronto Fringe); Crookback: An Adaption of Richard III (Beacon Theatre);

GUEST ARTISTS

alexander crowther

stephen Jackman-torkoff

amy keating

sarah orenstein

megan watson

Queer Bathroom Stories (Libido); When the Rain Stops Falling, Much Ado About Nothing, (University of Alberta); Assistant Director — Salt-Water Moon (nac); The Mill part 4 Ash (Theatrefront). other: mfa directing, University of Alberta; Bfa acting, Ryerson University; Artistic Associate, Grand Theatre.

Nick Blais Production Designerfor the grand theatre: Debut. theatre credits (selected): Jerusalem, TomorrowLove (Outside the March); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in the Ruff); Vespers: an original ballet (Royal Winnipeg Ballet); Pomona (arc); The Unending (Convergence Theatre); Receiver of Wreck (Tottering Biped / Pat the Dog); West Side Story (Citadel Theatre); Brantwood (Theatre Sheridan). other: Head of Design for Outside the March, Board Member for the Associated Designers of Canada, and Resident Designer for Actors Repertory Company. Nblaisdesign.com

Christopher Stanton Music & Sound Designerfor the grand theatre: Debut. other: Sound designer, performer, director, writer, and composer; stage work across Canada, and around the world; nominated for 13 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, two wins (direction 2017, performance 2011); artistic Producer of Toronto-based indie perfor-mance company arc. onebandoflight.com and arcstage.com

Tamara Vuckovic Stage Managerfor the grand theatre: Debut. theatre credits (selected): Outside (Roseneath); Title and Deed (Tarragon); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in the Ruff); La Bohème (Against the Grain); Dead Man Walking (Vancouver Opera); Pomona (arc); Extremophiles, Little Death (The Theatre Centre); Far Away, The Trial of Judith K (Theatre Passe Muraille); A Little Too Cozy (Against the Grain); Agokwe (La Chapelle); Hairspray (lot); Macbeth (Unit 102 Theatre); Moment (arc); True (Criminal Theatre); Queer Bathroom Stories (Buddies in Bad Times). other: Graduate and former staff, Bfa, Ryerson University.

Cole Vincent Apprentice Stage Managerfor the grand theatre: Debut. theatre credits: Apprentice sm — Hamlet, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, King Lear (Canadian Stage); Birds of A Feather (Roseneath Theatre). Stage Manager — Moll (Randolph College); Dreamgirls, Sister Act (lot); FornesX2 (Theatre Asylum); The Living (Summerworks). Assistant sm — Curious George and the Golden Meatball, Mary Poppins (lot). other: Bfa Theatre Production and Design, York University.

nick Blais

christopher stanton

tamara vuckovic

cole vincent

What or who are your major artistic influences?n: I would say I draw inspiration mostly from the environment — I’ve found it’s really import-ant to “take your talent for a walk.” That was a quote from a professor of mine. I think it’s important to change what you look at every day, so you can have a fresh bank of inspiration.

m: I’ve been a big fan of Belgian director Ivo van Hove for a long time, and I’m finding that his work applies to what I’m experimenting with in The Glass Menagerie. I’m inspired by how he takes classic American texts and relocates them for the audience in our time and place. Recently, I was also inspired by Peter Hinton, who came to the Grand to direct Silence on our Spriet Stage. The inspiration I take from Peter has to do with boldness, bravery, and sure- footedness in his concept.

What interests you about The Glass Menagerie?n: It was a challenge to push for a design that feels connected to a piece that is so familiar and has been designed many times before. I was excited by the challenge to create something that was interesting to me, rivalled other versions, and offers a design that the audience doesn’t expect.

m: I’m drawn to this play because of the characters and their relationships. If ever I felt lost or unsure when working on this play, I would come back to sitting with the characters, the people who Tennessee Williams created, and their relationships.

How will your production be different from previous versions?n: One thing we have, which many productions do not, is sheer proximity. For most of this play, audience members are inches away from the performers. The gravity of what’s being talked about, what’s being avoided, and the emotional relationships that are unfolding or deteriorating in front of us are so close, almost cinematically close, and I think that’s rather unique.

m: I trusted and encouraged the artists to bring themselves to the piece and that inherently makes it distinct. As a director, I’m trying to encourage an environment that allows the work to be present and alive, which makes a difference in how audiences see a show and how it becomes distinct.

Perspectiveswith director Megan Watson and production designer Nick BlaisQ&A

How would you describe your collabora-tive process on this project? n: It’s actually been quite amazing! Megan and I started working on this show last summer when we were up to our eyeballs in another show, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in the Ruff). While we were heading into tech, we started to dive into The Glass Menagerie. So, Megan and I haven’t had much time apart and that’s been good for our collaboration; a lot of inspiration found its way into our conversations because we’ve each done several shows between last summer and now.

m: Yeah, that’s a great way to describe it. Because of the timing of the two shows, Nick and I had a mini residency together; we were able to work together for longer than if we were just doing one play in the middle of a big season. The other notable thing is that Nick is the designer for the set, costumes, and lights, which means there was much more of a partnership between us — it was just Nick and I hashing it out from all aesthetic angles. I know that when I said something to set designer Nick, lighting designer Nick was also listening and integrating it into our concept.

In what ways do you think The Glass Menagerie remains relevant for audiences in 2018?n: We really wanted to closely examine how the character Tom sees himself and how he remem-bers his family and his interactions to the point where we’ve turned much of the set and props into totems — much like we do in our day-to-day lives. We all have objects and symbols in our homes that represent stories and emotions in our lives, and I think we’re all aware that we distort those over time and these “totems” gain and lose meaning as time goes on. We fill in the blanks of our own history, the way we want to see it, or the way we wish it was or maybe even worse than it was. If we’re torturing ourselves as Tom does, I think the tactics we use to cope with trauma are still very relevant today.

m: This play premiered in post-war America, and Williams offered his audience the opportu-nity to explore “self.” If we acknowledge that we are living in politically and socially volatile times, then I am curious about how Glass can provide a space for self-reflection for a contempo-rary audience the way it did for post-war audiences of the 1940s.

N ICK BL A IS . P HO T O B Y SH I H-I L I U.

M E G A N WAT S ON. P HO T O B Y DA H L I A K AT Z .

Tennessee Williams was born Thomas Lanthier Williams, on March 26, 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi. His father, Cornelius, was a travelling salesman, who often left Williams at home with his mother, Edwina, and his siblings, Rose and Walter. His parents’ unhappy marriage, and their strained relationship with their children, provided Williams with ample inspiration for his theatrical works. The Glass Menagerie’s Tom is semi-autobiographical, while Amanda and Laura Wingfield are based on Williams’ mother and sister.

He first became interested in play-writing while at university, and con-tinued writing during the Depression while working in a shoe factory. His success as a playwright came during the 1945 Broadway run of The Glass Menagerie. Williams’ next major play was also a hit: A Streetcar Named Desire, which premiered on Broadway in 1947 and won a Pulitzer Prize.

Between the years of 1948 and 1957, he had seven plays produced on Broadway: Summer and Smoke (1948), The Rose Tattoo (1951), Camino Real (1953), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), Orpheus Descending (1957), Garden District (1958), and Sweet Bird of Youth (1959). Cat on a Hot Tin Roof won Williams another Pulitzer Prize, con-firming him as a one of the greatest playwrights in the American theatre canon.

In 1963, William’s long-time part-ner, Frank Merlo, died. As Williams turned to alcohol and drugs to cope, his work in the theatre became less popular, with productions often receiving poor reviews and closing early. In 1969, his younger brother had him hospitalized, and upon his release, Williams attempted to make an artistic comeback. However, the theatrical landscape had changed from his heyday, and he was unable to regain the successes that he had enjoyed in the past. He died on February 25, 1983.

A RENAISSANCE OF OUR THEATRE

“In Williams the American theater found, perhaps for the first time, an eloquence and an amplitude of feeling. And driving on this newly discovered lyrical line was a kind of emotional heroism; he wanted

not to approve or disapprove but to touch the germ of life and to celebrate it with verbal beauty.” — arthur miller, collected essays

In 1941, Tennessee Williams wrote to his friend and fellow playwright, William Saroyan, “I think there is going to be a vast hunger for life after all this death — and for light after all this eclipse.” He was right: when The Glass Menagerie premiered on Broadway on March 31, 1945, the Second World War was draw-ing to a close and a new world was waiting to emerge. Following the sacrifice, loss, and exhaustion of the Depression and war-time, author Philip Roth described the country as having entered “the greatest moment of collective inebriation in American history...The lid was off.”

This was immensely significant for the post-war American theatre as a newly enlivened public was hungry for fresh experi-ences, grand expressions of feeling, and artistic pleasures. While life during the war required Americans to put their own interests aside for the benefit of others, the post-war period was marked by a fascination with satisfying the wants and needs of the indi-vidual. After years of exhausting sacrifice, Williams’ The Glass Menagerie gave the American public what it sought: a narrator determined to seize his own destiny, who justifies the nation’s newfound desire for personal fulfillment.

source: John l a hr’s tennessee williams: mad pilgrimage of the flesh

T E N N E S SE E W I L L I A M S I N 1949, P HO T O B Y CL I F F OR D C OF F I N (G E T T Y I M AG E S).

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