The Marian University Department of Music and Theatre concluded its fall semester with a final performance of The Glass Menagerie on Sunday at Marian University Theatre.
The production ran for three days, beginning Nov. 21, and starred Marian students Peter Waning, Ellie Keim, Julianna Britt and J.P. Schuette.
Written by American playwright Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie follows the lives of Amanda, a struggling single mother, and her two adult children, Tom and Laura, as they navigate family tension, unrealized dreams and personal challenges. Tom works in a warehouse to support the family but longs to leave and become a poet, while Laura battles anxiety and retreats from the outside world as her mother attempts to secure her a future through marriage.
Assistant director Julia McNamee described the play as an exploration of the human condition.
“Nobody is perfect, no matter how hard anybody tries — especially if you feel like you’re not in control of your life,” McNamee said.
The play draws heavily from Williams’ personal life, with the character of Laura inspired by his sister, Rose. Tom, the protagonist, frames the story as a memory, addressing the audience directly.
“Tom replays this over and over,” said Joy Mills, director and producer of the show. “It’s like looking back on one’s life and seeing the flaws that maybe he didn’t realize at the time.”
Mills said The Glass Menagerie is her favorite play and that each reading reveals something new. This production, she said, emphasized the theme of change.
“For me, this is a narrative about how humans are different at different points in their lives, how things change and how people manage that change,” Mills said.
