All rights reserved. When you experience Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie at the Milwaukee Rep you'll realize why he deserves honor as a great playwright. The production, exceptionally well-conceived and directed by Paul Barnes, comes alive with timeless depth and beauty.
Every performance breathes with naturalness and understanding.
Williams' almost-autobiographical play shimmers with rich language and subtle symbolism, which Barnes never forces. He and the actors have developed the characters with perfect dynamics and pacing, with the passion, humor and sweetness that Williams put into them. Tom's sister Laura is chronically shy, fragile as her treasured collection of glass animals. Amanda pressures Tom into bringing such a paragon to dinner, Jim O'Connor, a chum with whom he works in a warehouse. Jim was a high school star and Laura developed a secret crush on him.