The Glass Menagerie
Playwright: Tennessee Williams
Direction & Set Design: Fred Abrahamse
Costume Design: Marcel Meyer
Lighting Design: Faheem Bardien
Composer: Jaco Griesel
Cellist: Natasha Otero
Cast: Fiona Ramsay, Matthew Baldwin, Jenny Stead, Marcel Meyer
Venues: Artscape Arena
Dates: 1 – 30 November 2019
About: On a cold winter night in December 1944, The Glass Menagerie had its world-premiere in Chicago. That legendary performance and the ardent support of two Chicago theatre critics, catapulted Tennessee Williams, the then-unknown author, to celebrity status and launched his career as America’s greatest playwright. The Glass Menagerie became an instant classic, went on to be translated into more than twenty languages, and is still regularly performed on stages across the world. Now, seventy-five years later, in celebration of both play and playwright, Abrahamse and Meyer Productions bring a brand-new production of this much-loved Williams masterpiece to the Artscape Arena
What the Press Said:
“Coruscating as the delicate glass ornaments in a young girl’s collection, this A&M production of The Glass Menagerie remains in the memory of its audience long after they’ve left the theatre. Staging and execution are nothing short of brilliant, both literally and figuratively, with powerful dramatic contrast between seventy shades of grey in the central set and glittering shards of broken glass above which the latter is seemingly suspended…Fred Abrahamse’s attention to detail is as usual meticulous, and complemented by Marcel Meyer’s artfully designed costumes…Unforgettable theatre on every count” THE WEEKEND SPECIAL
“The play is vividly imagined in an installation of fragmented glass which is whimsical and luminescent and at the same time, emblematic of the shattered landscape of The Glass Menagerie…the entire company is superb…Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer are known for their intensely conceptual work. The design (set, costumes, lighting, sound, music) is integral to the staging. Their design approach as a company is about not going for the obvious. It’s about transfiguring the commonplace.” THE CAPE ROBYN
“The collaboration of Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer is a formidable one. A&M’s latest production, The Glass Menagerie, demonstrates not only superlative acting, but a fine interpretation of Williams’ play. In this wonderful reworking, one is riveted from the start. Today’s focus on otherness, and the necessity to recognise this is also a key facet in this brilliant play, where each actor and actress shines” THE CAPE ARGUS
FLEUR DU CAP THEATRE AWARDS:
Best Actress – Fiona Ramsay as Amanda Wingfield [win]
Best Supporting Actress – Jenny Stead as Laura Wingfield [win]
Best Supporting Actor – Marcel Meyer as The Gentleman Caller [nomination]
Best Director – Fred Abrahamse [nomination]
Best Lighting Design – Faheem Bardien [nomination]
THE GLASS MENAGERIE was listed as one of the TOP 10 THEATRE PRODUCTIONS of 2019 in THE CAPE ARGUS:
“This excellent rendition of a Tennessee Williams classic yet again highlights the fact that one must allow one’s true self to shine no matter what. With a cast as hugely talented as Fiona Ramsay, Jenny Stead, Matthew Baldwin and Marcel Meyer, one simply can’t go wrong in this haunting work”
