There is a sense of experimentation going on in rehearsals of The Glass Menagerie, and it’s a privilege for me to witness it. My favorite kind of rehearsal is one in which the actors get to play in a scene before the director steps in, and that is exactly how Lexi Deschene works with her cast. I feel this approach gives the actors more of an understanding of their presence in the scene, and an ability to add their own personalities. Isn’t that the reason we have actors, to take a great text such as this one from Tennessee Williams, and put their own personal spin on it while still maintaining the original intentions of the characters?
It’s also great to see a scene grow each time it’s rehearsed, and this cast is top-notch. One of many things I can promise the audience will love during this performance is the four actors’ relationships with each other. There was a certain freedom to the scene that was being rehearsed tonight, and I cannot wait to see the final product. The way each character knows their role in the show and makes it their own is such a joy to see.
When you have four talented performers such as this, a play such as The Glass Menagerie, and a director supporting each choice the actor makes, it will grow into a wonderful show or, in this case, be sculpted into a wonderful glass figurine. I was grateful to meet the other two members of the cast tonight: Derek Bousquet and Michelle Mount, who I had the pleasure of talking to.
Be on the look-out for more on The Glass Menagerie presented by the Theatre Company of Saugus, August 9th – 11th & August 16th – 18th, 2013. Friday and Saturday performances will begin at 7:30 PM, and Sunday performances will begin at 2:00 PM, located at the East Saugus United Methodist Church.
-Nathan Goulart-Pasco
Theatre Company of Saugus 