Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA
through October 21, 2018
by Shera Cohen
Before the lights go down in the theatre, a Narrator steps
forward from behind a back wall onstage to address the audience. He speaks the
poetry of Tennessee William’s story, “The Glass Menagerie,” foreshadowing a
world about to be revealed.
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| Photo by Daniel Rader |
The set presents a huge, floor to ceiling, backdrop;
lighting permits giant-sized human shadows; sounds emit thunder contrasted with
notes of a violin. The era of the Great Depression with WWI looming forms the
all-encompassing location. At the base is the small shabby Wingfield home.
Amanda (the mother) and her two adult children reside here. The physical and
emotional lives of each hang by a thread. The fragility of these individuals
speaks intensely; anything can break the relationships and destroy the future.
Mark H. Dold, as son Tom, exhibits a man smoldering inside,
so much that he is about to explode. His sole salvation from his miseries is as
an erstwhile poet. Dold, a BSC Associate Artist, proves to continually outdo
his acting skills with each play he takes on. His precise diction and
enunciation automatically put him at the forefront onstage, yet never
scene-stealing. In his dual role as the Narrator, Dold depicts a man who
pretends to himself that he is wiser than Tom.
The gentle demeanor in movement and voice of Angela Janas,
as Tom’s sister Laura, shows a young woman, literally holding on to whatever
sliver of happiness she can imagine – because imagine is the best that she can
do. Laura’s small glass animals bring her joy. There is a thin line between
pitiful and sad. Janas never lets Laura become pathetic. A staging suggestion
would be to bring Laura’s menagerie downstage or spotlight the glass toys,
making this key element in the story more visible to the audience.
Caitlin O’Connell’s mother role gives her audience a picture
of a woman with sweet, feigned memories of her past balanced with harsh reality
of the present. O’Connell portrays Amanda with more humanity than others in
this role. It seems a reasonable choice to give likability to Amanda. O’Connell’s
delivery of lines is flawless, but she often addresses the audience directly,
as if in monologues, instead of the characters she speaks to.
Certainly, casting actors best fit for his/her roles is
vital to make a production successful. Just how old are these characters? Laura
is six years out of high school. Tom is four years out. Neither actor’s real
age comes close. Is this discrepancy a huge blunder? No. Yet, it is a surprise
because Director Julianne Boyd and BSC are near perfect.
