Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie I

 

Plastic Theatre
source: John F. Kennedy Centre of Performing Arts

Character List and Production Notes 

Tennessee Williams dramatizes memories into a play, The Glass Menagerie which constantly moves between past and present in the midst of an atmosphere of congestion and tension.  The play contains certain autobiographical elements of Williams’ life which he represents through the character of Tom who inhabits a dual role in the play. He’s the narrator of the play as well as a character of his own subjective memory which he represents on the stage. Tom, is a victim of societal pressure who struggles to deal with reality by compensating with his dreams.  

Being a memory play, past has a very significant role to play in its advancement, that is, there are certain events of Tom’s life which are deeply rooted in his subconsciousness. One of those elements is, Laura, his sister around whom the play significantly revolves. Jim, the gentleman caller is the most long awaited and realistic character whom we encounter in scene six. He represents the dreams and aspirations of various people.  His character is an expression of hopes and desires, the other characters hold onto. Amanda unlike Tom and Laura lives in her own past and pushes her expectations on her children. She embodies a sort of duality which she splits up between reality and memories of her past.

 

William through this play wants to bring out a completely new form of dramaturgy. Through his production notes, Williams wish to conceive the notions of theatrical experience within the script for the readers as well as the audience making the play more organic. Williams’ idea of dramaturgy has a foothold in the understanding of the mind and psychic of his characters rather than the actions they represent on the stage. The earlier form of American drama was focussed on the kind of actions the characters portrayed on the stage. According to him, words and language are not only the principle mediums of the theatre. The voice of mind was under toned or supressed, but here in ‘The Glass Menagerie’, we see that functioning of the mind or psychoanalysis becomes more important. 

This is where, Tennessee Williams invents the concept of a new form of ‘Plastic theatre’ and ‘Memory play’, both of which deals with the action as well as the source of action, that is, the mind. Memory play is a one dimensional or subjective form of dramaturgy where a world out of memory is constructed and audience’s perspective is shaped only through protagonists’ memory. Therefore, as we see in ‘The Glass Menagerie’ the perspective gained is very filtered as narrative is built only by one entity, that is Tom. This is a very unconventional mode of representation and gives a closer approach towards truth and reality.

 

He also mentions about photographic arts which are very static and gives only surface understanding of things unlike realism which is far more complex and elastic. Plastic theatre or sculptural drama uses stage resources like props, lights, music, design to generate a theatrical experience that would induce more emotions, fervour, catharsis and a sense of actuality amongst the audience.

As he mentions for the screen device, “It is to give accent to certain values in each scene”. The capstone point in each scene is always hooked with a screen appearance on the gauze to create a certain sense on mood or tone in the play. The screen device like an image, quote, phrase or legend would basically strengthen the relationship between the audience and the play. It also gives voice to certain expressions or situations which are left unsaid or to give a very symbolic meaning to baffling situations. So, the idea of screen device boils down to an emotional appeal to bring out the supressed emotions trapped inside the human psychic.

In the play, both the children in the play are caught up in the expectations of their mother and are experiencing a life of quiet desperation. Character like Laura uses her glass menagerie as her constant companion of expression. It is through the menagerie that she escapes reality. Laura is an alienated figure who rarely expresses, and is like a piece of glass which is extremely fragile. Therefore, the screen device becomes an important element which speaks for Laura rather than herself.

Plastic Theatre

Apart from psychological complexities in the central characters, Williams tend to focus on other elements and came up with an innovative approach of plastic theatre. He introduces the concept of plastic theatre in his production notes where he insists on a multidimensional theatrical experience which is more than mere reality.

Williams found the realistic drama problematic as it doesn’t catch the essence of real life on stage fully. According to him, words and language shouldn’t be the principle medium of communication in theatre. Presence of certain elements like props create a theatrical experience which is beyond reality.

Williams was a pioneer in experimenting theatrical drama and set a paradigm for American acting and production. Williams exploits his creative freedom as an innovative dramatist and focussed on practical implications of the play.

Williams is believed to have borrowed the concept of  ‘plasticity’ from American-German  painter, Hans Hofmann. Plastic theatre makes the stage more alive and organic where even empty space or darkness is also significant.

Plastic theatre or sculptural drama uses stage resources like props, slide projections, costume, scenery, lighting, music, design to generate a theatrical experience that would induce more emotions, fervour, catharsis and a sense of actuality amongst the audience.

Richard E. Kramer in his essay ‘The sculptural drama: Tennessee’s Williams plastic theatre’ writes

“Williams envisioned a theatre which begins with the playwrights who create theatrical experience in the script because they are not just composing words, but theatrical images.”

 Plastic theatre is an artistic staging technique which rapt the attention of the audience inducing a realistic scenic art lending an effect of aura on the stage.

‘The Glass Menagerie’ is considered as an important modernist literary piece, as it represents the ideas of expressionism, surrealism and the working of the human mind. These are not only visual presentations but are more sensuous in nature.

Through plastic theatre, Williams tends to explore the picture of reality unlike photographic arts which are very static and gives only surface understanding of things. The use of plastic theatre makes the drama far more complex and fluid. It focuses on simplicity with stage designing and restraint in acting. It is more expressionistic and renders emotions. It can be used as an analytical tool to provide a more vivid and penetrating picture of the theatre, something which even realism can’t do.

It isn’t only actors who are involved in a plastic theatre. There’s a whole bundle of performers, musicians, dancers, stage directors which make plastic theatre a successful concept.

It is a dynamic concept which gives metaphorical meaning gives voice to certain expressions or situations which are left unsaid bring out the suppressed emotions trapped inside the human consciousness.