Relationship Between Tom And His Sister example essay topic

Set in the early 1940's in St. Louis, Missouri, "The Glass Menagerie" is a remarkable memory play written by Tennessee Williams. Performed by The Virginia Stage Company, this classic play follows the struggles of a broken family trying to survive in a world that is much more harsh than the delicate world of glass animals. From the memory of Tom Wingfield, played by Michael A. Newcomer, the audience sees firsthand the hatred Tom has for the life that he has to lead. As a factory worker and the sole support for his mother and crippled sister, Tom dreams of becoming a writer and leaving the small, drab apartment that crushes his many dreams. He escapes the life he despises by frequenting the movies and through alcohol, creating tension between him and his mother. Newcomer, though sometimes wavering in and out of his Southern accent, does a fine job of making the frustrations of Tom believable.

Although it is meant to be obvious that the relationship between Tom and his sister, Laura, is strong, Newcomer does not effectively convey this aspect in his portrayal of Tom. Instead it seems as if he is glad to have left behind both his mother and sister, contrary to his sentiments in the final scene where he expresses his displeasure of having left his sister behind. Despite this, Newcomer's wonderful speaking voice gets him through the play successfully. Darrin Lawrence as Amanda Wingfield effectively convinces the audience that she is the overbearing, obnoxious mother that Tom is desperately trying to escape.

Her constant nagging about everything from the way Tom eats to repeatedly asking why he stays out all night both annoys and pushes Tom to follow the footsteps of his father who was a telephone man who "fell in love with long distance". Lawrence's performance was at times comedic, but the direction of her character leaned more to the overly dramatic side. As the pitiful, crippled sister, Laura, actress Christi Craig limped around the stage and spoke in a soft little girl voice. Her ailment was slight and not quite pronounced but was enough to make the audience feel sorry for her having the cope with the ailment and an exasperating mother. Because of this, the audience sees her escape many times to her world of tiny, fragile animals that in a sense perpetuate the fragility of her character. The close relationship between her and Tom was not completely shown in the two characters' portrayals.

The only emotion seen, besides the implied love between siblings, was in a scene where Laura covers her drunken brother up with a blanket. Craig does effectively play up the intense shyness of the character, instantly winning the affections of the audience. Derek Phillips, who played Jim O'Connor, chose not to portray the character as sensitive, but rather more toward the insensitive side. He was overly conceited, considering his life had gone downhill since graduation and at times he bordered on insulting the frail Laura in the deliverance of his lines, as when he told her that she had an inferiority complex.

Phillips' performance seemed a bit rushed and unnatural, as he tripped over furniture when overemphasizing movements of the character. All in all, the "gentleman caller" doesn't seem to be completely put together. The set designer, Rob Odorisio, did a magnificent job of making the small, cramped apartment seem intimate and warm with his use of the angled, thrust stage. The neutral paint color on the walls and the position of the furniture effectively made the drab apartment seem realistic and inviting to the audience. Not only did the design of the set make the play interesting, but also the lighting.

John-Paul Szczepanski, lighting designer, created the illusion that the play was coming from the memory of Tom, especially when the lights focused on Tom while all other characters faded into the background. Costume design by Nazi Adzima also helped transport the characters back to the early 1940's. With Amanda's old courting dress to the style of the hat that Jim O'Connor wore, Adzima effectively dressed the characters while being cognizant of the time period and the income of the characters. This production of Williams' memory play was well done in every aspect.

Not only did the characters shine, but also so did the set, the lighting, and the costumes. In the conclusion of the play Tom leaves the audience with the vision of him looking into a storefront at glass ornaments, reminding him of his sister. He is filled with regret and sadness at his memory, and the audience shares his sorrow, as we too had a glimpse into his past. Like his sister's glass menagerie, Tom's memories were also on display for all to see.