Beth Marshall presents The Glass Menagerie at the Garden Theater.

Posted on by Thor

The Glass Menagerie written by Tennessee Williams harkens back to memories of his youth when he worked in a warehouse to support his mother and sister. Tom, (Anthony Pyatt Jr.) restlessly dreamed of a life of adventure as a poet. The only way to find that adventure in his work a day life is to escape to the movies. His mother, Amanda Wingfield, (Cami Miller), is a faded southern belle who lives in poverty with Tom and her painfully shy daughter, Laura, (Anneliese Moon) in St. Louis during the late
1930s. Tom’s fragile sister seems unable to find her place. Believing that marriage will be the answer for Laura, Amanda pushes Tom
into finding a male suitor (Zack Lane) for her. What begins as a promising evening
soon unravels, and the fragile fantasy world the family had begun to
build is irreparably cracked. Tennessee Williams drew upon his own life
to create a poignant tale that has become an award-winning American
classic. The Glass Menagerie was first brought to the stage in 1945, the play was a 2014 Tony Award nominee for Best Revival of a Play.

 Laura is so frail and vulnerable that of course my heart went out to her. So many survivors of the Pulse shooting spoke of their life being on hold. My own life seems frozen, waiting for the next chapter to begin. Laura got flustered at business school and had to drop out. Her every memory of High School, is of being different, an outsider. The gentleman caller, Jim is the embodiment of the American ideal. He believes that a few courses in public speaking will catapult him towards certain success.  He wants a give his confidence to Laura and every time he touches her she calms down. My theater companion felt that Laura’s constant shaking was distracting, but I was so won over be her delicate beauty that it didn’t bother me. Animators stage a scene so that it plays to back of the theater. Perhaps that is the reason used for Laura’s mannerisms.

What mattered most was how the last act bowled me over. Tom had left to seek out his life of poetry and adventure. He however loved his sister and wished he had been able to do more for her. In walking down a city street at night he remembered seeing brightly lit colored glass in a drug store window. That beautiful glass reminded him of his sisters delicate Menagerie of glass animals.  His sister was the glass unicorn who only wanted to be like every other horse. She joined the herd by having her dream smashed and her heart broken. Tom’s memory of her caught me and made me well up. Was I crying for her, or all of us?

The Glass Menagerie runs through November 6th.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Posted on by Thor

Tennessee Williams‘ Pulitzer prize-winning “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opened Friday, March 21, at Orlando’s Mad Cow Theatre 54 W. Church St., Orlando FL.

I went to a dress rehearsal on March 18th. In the classic story, secrets push a family to the brink during a memorable evening. Wealthy Southerner Big Daddy is celebrating his 65th birthday among his passionate and greedy family. Son Brick (David Jachin Kelley) is a hunky former football hero married to sexually frustrated Maggie (Summer Dawn Wallace). Meanwhile, son Gooper, a lawyer, had his eye on the family fortune. Also featured are Ron Schneider, Karel K. Wright, Amanda Leakey, Stephen E. Middleton, Tommy Keesling and Michael G. Knight. Bobbie Bell directed.

Brick got drunk and tried to relive his former football glory days at the high school stadium where he managed to break his leg. His wife Maggie was all a flutter talking about family and those “no neck brats” of the sister in law. Summer Dawn Wallace was exceptional in the role as Maggie. She gave the character some teeth like a wild animal cornered in a conflict. Her affections toward Brick were always rebuffed. He spent the show sipping drinks until he felt “that click” which is the moment when he finally had enough.

The show absolutely had me mesmerized.  Big Daddy had health troubles and the family felt the need to protect him from the truth. Family buzzed around him trying to ingratiate their way into the family fortune. Brick was the favored son but Big Daddy could see his addiction to the bottle. There has been much talk lately about the Mad Cow Theater having financial troubles. However this show proves that the theater is committed to staging exceptional productions.

Snap!

Posted on by Thor

I stopped by Snap (Cameo Theater, 1013 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Fl ) on the day before my retrospective exhibit went up. The gallery was open till 4pm. Emily Jordan and Diana Rodriguez were working as interns at the front desk. This was the last day that “Flight” was on display. As I sketched the last of the arts patrons explored the gallery. Three pieces of drywall proclaimed the gallery’s mission statement: Contemporary, Creative and Spontaneous. Patrick Kahn, the gallery’s founder had to step out.

Diana’s son, Josiah Portillo, stopped in and hung out for a while.  As he and Diana talked, he decided to water the potted orchid on the reception desk with his bottled water. He then headed out to hang with some friends in the park. Diana offered him some money in case he wanted a snack but he said he would be fine.

I discovered later from Holly Kahn, that the lamp on the reception desk was from her son Luke‘s room. Emily and Diana were chatting and getting to know each other. Emily is a photographer who takes society shots for a local magazine. Diana is an actress and avid supporter of the arts. When she discovered that Emily had never been to the Fringe, she excitedly explained what the Fringe is all about. Diana suddenly shrieked and stood up. A large puddle had mysteriously formed and was spreading across the table. They both quickly removed books, paper and art. The potted orchid was leaking. Diana put the potted plant on the floor as they mopped up the spill. “How much water did Josiah put in this plant?” Diana said. On the floor the plant was still gushing out water.

Disaster was averted since the angle of the table made the puddle flow away from the art and papers on the desk. Just when things returned to normal, Patrick came back and the women were free to go home. Diana told me about a dress rehearsal for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams, which I will be sketching next week. Patrick explained to me that she is one of the most active supporter of the arts that he knows.

Mark your calendar and come on out to the opening of my retrospective showing of sketches of Orlando on March 21st from 7pm to 10pm at the Cameo Theater (1013 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Fl). The show will remain open through April 17th.