Escape In Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie

In 1944, Tennessee Williams shaped the way of theatre by creating his own original genre. With his script of The Glass Menagerie, Williams was able to create a memory play: the first of its kind. WIlliams’ creation offered a new experience of a man, Tom, reminiscing on his past. While Tom was present for most of the memories, some events did not involve Tom, so he had to imagine what was actually happening during that time. This style of play allows readers and viewers to see true memories, but there also might be some warped perceptions. Tom recalls the time of his sister, Laura, trying to find a suitor. Her timid nature and slight impairment aid to her mother’s constant persistence over getting married. Throughout the years, many producers have made adaptations of the class Glass Menagerie. In fact, Anthony Harvey’s production of The Glass Menagerie inadequately portrays the escape that all of the characters experience because of the underwhelming performance from Joanna Miles as Laura and the weak staging and lighting throughout the presentation. Joanna Miles flat portrayal of Laura fails to produce a believable action of escape. In the script, Laura expresses her feeling vocally. During the moments leading up to Jim’s arrival, Laura’s actions are specified to show her fear: “She utters a low moan and turns off the lamp—sits stiffly on the edge of the sofa, knotting her fingers together” (Williams 770). As written in the script, Laura acts with her emotions. When she