Elevating a classic yet again
"Time is the longest distance between two places."
Most people can relate to feelings of regret, guilt, and anxiety. This perhaps more than any other reason helps Tennessee Williams' semiautobiographical play stand the test of time. Hans Fleischmann's vision of The Glass Menagerie , which first premiered more than three years ago with Mary-Arrchie Theatre, heightens these emotions by presenting the central protagonist and narrator as a homeless man talking to himself.
Remounting this vision with The Hypocrites, Fleischmann once again tackles the dual responsibility of directing and portraying Tom, the smothered writer who toils in a warehouse to support his widowed mother and crippled sister. Although Fleischmann's beard isn't quite as robust as it was three years ago, his performance is even more so. His tortured reactions to the interactions between Laura (Joanne Dubach) and Amanda (Kate Buddeke) are subtle yet profound, and the production works far better with his character being the only one to address the audience this time around.
Dubach - the other returning cast member from the Mary-Arrchie performances - makes even greater strides in her portrayal of Laura. Appropriately awkward, Dubach exudes innocence and remains impossibly sweet while delivering a more realistic performance. Zach Wegner is genuine and makes The Gentleman Caller a balanced character, but lacks the spark that Walter Briggs provided in the Mary-Arrchie production.
There's a similar-yet-excusable problem in Buddeke's portrayal of Amanda. The original actor playing Tom's mother needed to drop out of the production one week prior to opening for health reasons. That opening got pushed back a week, but two weeks isn't enough time to develop a rich character such as Amanda. Buddeke's performance lacks charisma and sparkle, but it's hard to exude such qualities when worrying about remembering your lines. The dichotomy of Amanda and Jim as social juggernauts juxtaposed with Tom and Laura as extreme introverts is an important relationship that does not get fully realized in this production. Nevertheless, Buddeke provides a few moments of warmth that counterpoint Amanda's overbearing and controlling nature. I expect her performance to improve as the run progresses.
Grant Sabin and Matt Gawrykreturn to handle set and lighting duties. Surprisingly, they manage to create an even more evocative design than they provided three years prior while maintaining the same spirit. Tom's current life as a homeless man bleeds even more seamlessly into his memories of his St. Louis childhood home. The stark projections that heightened the illusory feel of the play three years ago are now more subtly placed as chalk markings onto tattered rags hung above the set.
Even though this latest production of The Glass Menagerie has its cracks, the collection remains magnificent. After experiencing Fleischmann's vision of this celebrated play, I would have a difficult time attending a classical staging of it. A director elevating a playwright's work to something beyond the original conception in this manner showcases the best of theatre's collaborative nature.
The Glass Menagerie continues through March 6th at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee (map), with performances Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays 3pm and 8pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $15-$36, and are available by phone (872.205.6525) or online through Tix.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More info at The-Hypocrites.com. (Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, includes an intermission)
behind the scenes
Hans Fleischmann (director), Grant Sabin (scenic design), Mieka Van Der Ploeg (costume design), Aaron James Stephenson (sound design), Daniel Knox (original score), Matt Gawryk (lighting design), Paul Deziel (projections design), Andrew Donnelly (asst. director), John Kelly (master electrician), Pat Fries (production manager), Casey Peek (stage manager), Evan Hanover (photos)
Tags: 16-0211, Aaron James Stephenson, Andrew Donnelly, Casey Peek, Chicago Theater, Daniel Knox, Evan Hanover, Grant Sabin, Hans Fleischmann, Joanne Dubach, John Kelly, Kate buddeke, Keith Glab, Matt Gawryk, Mieka van der Ploeg, Pat Fries, Paul Deziel, post, Tennessee Williams, The Den Theatre, The Hypocrites, Walter Briggs, Zach Wegner
Category: 2016 Reviews, Den Theatre, Extensions-Remounts, Hypocrites Theatre, Keith Glab, Tennessee Williams
