June 13th
It has been nearly a week since I went to see The Glass Menagerie starring Amy Adams. I am glad I gave myself time to think about it and saw other plays before beginning this blogging process. I was overall disappointed in the production and directing of the play and just wanted more out of the experience. The accents were spot on to my American ear, but the setting did not come to life for me. It was surreal seeing Amy Adams because she is in so many fantastic movies but even her character did not bring what I wanted it to. Tennessee Williams is a classic southern writer, but I do not think the director flushed out the background of St. Louis and the mother’s past Mississippi roots. I cannot think of anything that really clued me into her history except her strong accent.
Soon after The Glass Menagerie, I saw The House of Shades and The Corn is Green. These are British plays and I enjoyed them more than the American production. Although the words could be hard to understand, the set and various characters made the location seem significant. I did lose some implications because I do not know a lot about British politics which were heavily debated in The House of Shades. I really enjoyed how Emlyn Williams was an active part in The Corn is Green. It made me wish that The Glass Menagerie had put more time into fleshing out the idea of a memory play and the biography of Tennessee Williams. I am not sure of the director’s background, but I wonder if something from the American play was lost in the British production. In the same way I struggle to understand British accents, I also heard others complain about not grasping American accents.
I have spent so much time studying The Glass Menagerie and analyzing what Tennessee Williams put of himself into the play. If I had not known going in that it was semiautobiographical, I do not think I would have known of his history in the south and his rough family environment. The tone of Old Tom did not even feel particularly worn out and regretful. All in all, the set was relatively boring and the space between the actors left the dialogue feeling distant.
Even though I was disappointed by this play, it made me appreciate the plays I saw after more.
-Tabi is Booked
Theatre in London U of A 