As someone who before Saturday hadn’t seen to a proper play in an alarming number of years, I possess neither the experience nor desire to break “The Glass Menagerie” down line by line.
However, what I can tell you with supreme confidence is that “Menagerie,” playing thru April 11 at Herberger Theater, is well worth the price of admission.
Director Juliette Carrillo’s treatment of the Tennessee Williams’ classic–widely believed to be an autobiography of Williams’ life during his artistic awakening–is daring while giving the proper amount of respect to a classic.
1930s-set “Menagerie” is the story of the St. Louis tenement-dwelling Wingfield family–Mother and former Southern Belle Amanda with her false sense of entitlement and love of melodrama, and siblings Tom and Laura [played by Noel Joseph Allain and Barbra Wengerd, pictured left], older brother stuck towing the line as man of the house and awkward younger sister who alternates getting done in by physical and social limitations .
Desperate to erase her own life’s failures (most notably marrying “a telephone man who fell in love with long distance”) Amanda tries most unsuccessfully to will her children to happiness. And while the smothering mother celebrates the pending arrival of a long-awaited Gentleman Caller for her daughter, the audience is left to cringe with the knowledge that no good can come from the visit. Yes, true to Tennessee Williams form, “The Glass Menagerie” is a deep, character-driven tale.
In a twist, Carrillo forces the four-person cast (five if you count sensational violinist Jay Goldin) to begin the play on a naked stage, introducing the Wingfield apartment set piece by piece in a visual crescendo that compliments the rising action of the script. It’s a bold move that really worked for me. Carrillo also deserves a high five for getting more out of a cream-colored curtain than Martha Stewart.
Among the acting performances, Brian Ibsen’s turn as Gentleman Caller Jim O’Connor really stood out. His much-needed energy helped the story get where it needed to go at at time when the pace was lagging. Catalina Mayard (Amanda) also gets credit for keeping a generally abrasive character mostly sympathetic.
I could go on and on trying to impress you with how closely I paid attention but, again, this isn’t one of those reviews. The bottom line is that “The Glass Menagerie” is thought-provoking entertainment that leaves you wanting more.
Written by playwright Bob Clyman, SECRET ORDER is the story of a brilliant thirtysomething cell biologist named Dr. William Shumway (Cale Epps) from the University of Illinois who may have discovered the cure for cancer. The discovery leads to a flashy new job at a prestigious cancer-research institute in New York, led by the ambitious Dr. Robert Brock (Mark DeMichele) who practically salivates at the thought of a Nobel Prize. Or any prize. As news of Shumway’s ground-breaking work spreads, a young wide-eyed, overly enthusiastic Harvard University student, Alice Curiton (Jessica Weaver), seems ready to sell her soul for a summer internship with Shumay. Throw in a jealous and sabotaging Dr. Saul Roth (David Vining) at the research institute and you’ve got a play filled with twists and turns that test the will, desire, and integrity of everyone.
I was excited to finally see [title of show] at the Herberger Theatre on opening night, especially after having interviewed the monstrously talented Lauren Lebowitz, one of the musical’s stars, earlier in the month. Going in, I knew that the show would be the real-life story of two, out-of-work New York actors in 2004 who decided to write a musical about two, out-of-work New York actors who decided to write a musical. The fast-paced, hilarious, and yet subtly serious story follows these two quirky actors and their two equally-quirky best friends as they navigate from the unemployment line to creating a major Broadway hit.
Festive Friday: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, the Ambassadors will be stationed outside the Information Center [US Bank Building, 101 N. First Ave., Ste. 190] sharing sweet treats courtesy of Downtown businesses. You can also pick up coupons for FREE food items from participating restaurants to be used throughout the month. Plus, music by 
While it won’t be quite as busy as Miami’s South Beach, site of Super Bowl XLIV (or, 44 for the layperson), Downtown Phoenix is offering its own super mix of activities this weekend.
Community Yoga Project at Civic Space Park
Dodge Theatre
The 
Downtown Phoenix has so many different ways to entertain yourself and satisfies so many different interests, that at this moment I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else in the Valley. I would not be able to experience the crowds of the World Series or the annual Mexico vs. (fill in blank) soccer game from my patio.
The 
Born in New York City in 1904, Fats Waller penned over 400 songs in his short life during the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s. He died, sadly, at the young age of 39. Many of his songs are still sung today and the cast of “AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’” belted out 30 of them during Saturday night’s Arizona Theatre Company production. Truthfully, I could have listened to 100 more.
Joel McHale at Dodge Theatre
On Saturday, the annual holiday run of the Actors Theatre version, now in its 18th season, officially kicked off, and it was a spectacular, funny, sweet reminder that “A Christmas Carol” still has a lot to say – and “bah, humbug” is the least of it.
Joined by friends Shining Star and a fleet of special guests performing your favorite songs from the last four decades, “Blast from the Past” promises to be a night of music to remember.
