Theatrius
  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us
  • Search Icon

Theatrius

Theater Reviews—San Francisco and Beyond

“Glass Menagerie” Breaks from Past, at Cal Shakes, Orinda

“Glass Menagerie” Breaks from Past, at Cal Shakes, Orinda

July 15, 2017 Rosa del Duca

Tennessee Williams in Moving, Fragile Moments by Lisa Portes

by Rosa del Duca

“The Glass Menagerie” opens with Tom Wingfield’s short, poetic monologue, explaining that he is both the narrator and a character in the play. We are entering his memory of a particular time of strife in his family.

At Cal Shakes, Tom (the fabulous, convincing Sean San Jose) delivers his monologue as the sun illuminates the East Bay hilltops behind him. His mother and sister sit still as statues on either side of the stage. Immediately, it is clear that Director Lisa Portes’ version of “The Glass Menagerie” has inverted a main component of Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical play. This family is not white. This family represents a diverse America. And as soon as the action starts, we realize that Portes has also cast a disabled woman to play Laura. Phoebe Fico relies on crutches to move about the stage, lending a deep authenticity to her role.

From the moment their mother, Amanda (the riveting Karen Aldridge), calls Tom to the table and launches her diatribe about how he should eat his dinner, it’s clear that mother and son have perfected a specific repertoire. It’s a strained, loving relationship of disappointment and longing that unfolds beautifully due to the strength of these actors.

Karen Aldridge as Amanda and Sean San José as Tom in California Shakespeare Theater’s production of Tennessee Williams’ THE GLASS MENAGERIE.  Photos by Kevin Berne.

Aldridge is stellar as Amanda, with a voice that conveys the most complicated of emotions and a spirit that has the audience laughing out loud throughout the play. She rushes about the stage like the fading debutante she is, and uses every part of her body to inhabit this character, which Cal Shakes says is based on an upper-class black woman in the early 1900s.

In an article included in the program, the creative team explains that there was a tiny group of wealthy, upper class African Americans living in the south who held the same type of debutante-style balls that celebrated wealthy white girls’ coming of age. This explanation is unneeded, by the way. The original lines delivered by Amanda highlight American history, and the history of this play, set in the 30s, in an intriguing and thought-provoking way.

Karen Aldridge as Amanda and Rafael Jordan as Jim

As Tom, San Jose guides us through the play with an earnest, raw, emotional performance. We watch him tenderly tending to his sister Laura, obediently fetching everything his mother wants—even a gentleman caller for Laura.  Tom often leaves the stage to appeal directly to the audience. At times he battles to hold the very set together—thrusting a coat stand onstage just as Amanda takes off her jacket, and stumbling to provide another dinner chair before the meal begins.

But just as Laura is devoted to her fragile collection of glass animals, there is a brittle aspect to this production. While Fico provides a rare physical authenticity to her character, her acting is inexperienced. However, there is a scene in which she shines. After Amanda sends high school crush Jim (talented Rafael Jordan) into the living room to check on her, Laura and Jim deliver a touching exchange that illuminates the heart of this play, both literally and figuratively.

Rafael Jordan as Jim and Phoebe Fico as Laura

Director Lisa Portes says one of the things she admires most about this play is that all of the characters are messy dreamers who fail to fit into the clean American Dream. It is a pleasure to see these dreamers collide, to briefly align, and to cleave apart, again, on the Cal Shakes stage.

 

“The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams, directed by Lisa Portes, Scenic Designer Annie Smart, at California Shakespeare Theater, at Bruns Amphitheater, Orinda, California, through Sunday, July 30, 2017. Info: calshakes.org

Cast: Karen Aldridge, Phoebe Fico, Rafael Jordan, and Sean San José.


Millennial Notes, Plays

Post navigation

NEXT
“Book of Mormon” Creates Perfect Storm at Broadway San Jose
PREVIOUS
“A Life on the Ocean Wave” Whips Up a Storm, at Exit Theatre, S.F.
Comments are closed.

Menu

  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us

BLM

Black Lives Matter

Subscribe for upcoming reviews!
Loading

Current Shows

  • “Dry Powder” Spotlights Wall Street Power-Brokers—at Left Edge
  • “Pride and Prejudice, The Musical” Enchants with Sass & Satire—at Ross Valley
  • “Clue” Melds Mystery & Comedy into Entertaining Adventure—at SF Playhouse
  • “Donna”: Intimate Interviews Celebrate Trans Triumphs—On Screen
  • “Fannie”: Sixties Spirituals Pave Path to Freedom—at TheatreWorks
  • “’Tasha” Tackles Raw Racism—at 3Girls
  • “Tea Party” Brews Up a Cup of America—at The Strand
  • “A Raisin in the Sun” Explodes with Drama and Power—at 6th Street
  • “Cambodian Rock Band” Deserves Its Standing Ovation—at Berkeley Rep
  • “Cambodian Rock Band” Mixes Nostalgic Hits with Terror—at Berkeley Rep
  • “Fun Home” Seduces with Strong Songs & Sultry Sass—at Berkeley Playhouse
  • “Anything Goes”: It’s Delightful, It’s Delicious, It’s De-lovely—at 42nd Street Moon
  • “SIX, The Musical” Celebrates Women’s Freedom & Individuality—at BroadwaySF
  • “Fun Home” Bursts with Love & Feeling—at Berkeley Playhouse
  • “Dear San Francisco” Wows with Kaleidoscopic Acrobatics—at Club Fugazi

About us:

If you want to see the best plays & performances around the San Francisco Bay or beyond, read our reviews. We promise to give you a true report on the best shows.
Bay Area Critics Circle

Barry David Horwitz, Editor of Theatrius, is a Voting Member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle, SFBATCC. Follow us on: facebook.com

© 2023   All Rights Reserved.