Synopsis: The Glass Menagerie is a "memory" play by Tennessee Williams that follows the Wingfield family in 1930s St. Louis: a mother, Amanda (Kim Carroll), clinging to a nostalgic past; her son, Tom (Mason Thorman), who yearns for escape; and his shy, disabled sister, Laura (Justine Cornwall), who lives in an illusionary world with her glass figurines. As Amanda pressures Tom to find Laura a husband, he invites his coworker Jim (Aaron Crews) to dinner, a visit that leads an interesting encounter that affects the family as whole, forever.

Stage and Set Design: When I first walked in to the theatre to take my seat, the curtains were open. The set was well thought out for an upper level, run-down apartment building in a bustling city in the 1930's. Some props were not "time-period accurate" but in no way is that a slight to the set design. Being THAT accurate would be difficult as everything would be rare in our area, or expensive. The first thing that caught my eye was the crooked shelving on the walls. All seemed to lean the same direction at the same angle. It was slightly distracting at times but still a good attention to the state of the building and it's lack of maintenance. The ripped wallpaper was the effect that really set the mood the most. Before the play even started I understood the state of this family socially and economically. A large photograph of a middle-aged man hangs prominently in the middle of the set. Although it was noticeably a.i., it was wonderful for the play and really brought some scenes together. The mismatched chairs at the kitchen table were another great touch. The classic "Candlestick" phone may have been one of the most used props and was perfect for all aspects of the production. An "era-accurate" Victrola could be seen in the background and adds to the ambiance greatly. I was confused by the lighting however. In a weird way, it made the room feel both cold and warm at the same time. Being that it was cold in the theatre, the lighting added to the actual temperature feel. The whole play took place in this one room so no big set changes were needed. A very smart set design was used to give room for a outdoor "stoop" where our narrator, Tom, begins most of his scenes. It gave a believable entry and exit point to the apartment both through the door and the window. All in all, it seemed well thought out and was able to take me to an older and more simple life in early 1900s middle America.

Production: When the play started, a large sequined unicorn (which i found out was whimsically named "Cecil") was brought out and placed on a small white disc-like item laying on the floor. The spotlight shined on it, the fog machine fired up and the other lights dimmed and it made for a wonderful dreamy effect. Later I was told that the disc was suppose to make the unicorn spin, which would have been great, but nonetheless it was still achieving its presumed desired effect.

Mason Thorman (Tom) showed us yet again that portraying emotions in a theatrical setting is truly an art form that not everyone can master, but he seems to do it production after production. Mason effectively was able to project upon us his nostalgic yet bitter revival of his past with a family that he clearly loved but had inner struggles with. I resonated well with Mason's portrayal of this character. I understood much of where he was coming from and his visual as well as vocal frustrations. I only found myself taken out of the moment in his scenes when his character was smoking. Mason held the cigarette in an unusual fashion, so much to the point I would find myself thinking back to my smoking days and how weird it would feel to hold my cigarette like that. After speaking with friends, it turns out it isn't that odd of a cigarette holding method. I just had never experienced it before then. Who knew?

Kim Carrol (Amanda), brought us the charm of an aged southern belle who still clings to her past accomplishments and has trouble understanding why her children do not clamor for that similar experience. Kim brought us the widest range of emotions in the production. We start by laughing at her overbearing mothering of adult children. Not long after we begin to feel for her as she seems to regret past life choices. But Kim shined most when she showed her frustration and anger. She seemed to fumble at words and lines during those scenes but to me, that radiated even more of the emotions needed for the situations. She seemed so "in-character" at those times BECAUSE of the fumbled words. And I could be wrong, maybe she planned it that way. Either way, well done.

Justine Cornwall (Laura), was a welcomed fresh face to the growing list of performers at the West End Theatre. I dont know her theatrical experience or even if she has been in past West End productions, but I haven't seen her in recent shows. To me, her character would have been the hardest to portray. Acting as a "disabled" person without being given an actual disability diagnosis to present to the audience would be a rough challenge for many. Although i still dont know the exact diagnosis (Pleurosis is mentioned but it is treatable even in that time), I still walked away knowing the world was massively different in the eyes of her character. Justine was able to show, with great accuracy, her debilitating shyness, chronic introverted tendencies and inability to hold the average lifestyle for a young woman of her age at the time. At times, I felt some of the lines delivered seemed to be slightly rushed but in no way could that not be part of her characters demeanor.

Aaron Crews (Jim), was another new face that I was experiencing for the first time within this theatre recently. Although Aaron has the least amount of stage time, he is memorable in his time that he does give us. Aaron's character had their own awkwardness which alone seemed off but when he is on stage, one-on-one with Justine, something special happened. Both seemed to play off of each other well. For those who have watched the series on Netflix, this scene was like "Dating on the Spectrum: Live on Stage". And that is a huge complement. Although the scene doesn't have the most uplifting of results, it still had wonderful moments where Aaron had to improv and he did it as if he has been on this stage for many years. He had some times where he said his lines earlier than he was suppose to, then had to repeat them but that comes with jitters, off-timing, distractions, or a multitude of different things that all of us experience at one time or another during a performance.

Final Review: Before the West End Theatre had announced The Glass Menagerie, I had never heard of it. The director and crew were able to portray a wonderful story with a great chosen cast to immerse ourselves and push our psyche to a simpler time in our storied history as a country. With a few hiccups, but nothing major, the show was a magical night out on the town. Although by today's standards of constant visual stimulation, some may find the long monologs and the fact that this show is very much dialog based, to be a bit slow at times. So if your form of entertainment is action and comedy based only, maybe mentally prepare yourself. But for those many of us who thrive on the escalation of the story to be done via verbal and dialectical presentation, sit down, grab a drink, possibly bring a blanket and let yourself be immersed in a world of southern-charm, glass figurines and blue roses.