FIVE STARS
Written by the American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983), is a transcendental play of the 20th century and contributed to establishing its author as one of the leaders of contemporary realism. With the passage of time, his prestige would be consolidated with pieces such as “A Streetcar Named Desire“, and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”.
When “The Glass Menagerie” (The Glass Menagerie)was performed for the first time in 1944, and received recognition of such magnitude that critics positioned Williams as a continuator of the great dramatic work. Eugene O’Neillwinner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and creator of notable texts such as “Long day trip into the night”.
The plot takes place during crisis of 1930within a down-and-out southern familyin which Amanda Wingfield (Ingrid Pelicori), is the domineering mother who suffered the abandonment of her husband and lives with her children Tom
(Agustín Rittano), a shoe store employee with aspirations as a writer, and Laura (Malena Figó), an extremely introverted and shy girl, with a physical disability in one of her legs, who is dedicated to collecting
delicate glass animals. They are joined, during a dinner, by the young Jim O’Connor (Martin Urbaneja), Tom’s co-worker, Laura’s former classmate, and Amanda’s dream suitor for her daughter.
What happens on stage is a x-ray of unattainable dreams in which none of the characters is satisfied with the life they were given.
Amanda lives stuck in the past, when suitors courted her. Tom, narrator of this family story, wants to leave his routine job and only finds solace in the sweet poison of alcohol or by isolating himself in a movie theater. Laura suffers like her brother from her mother’s hawkish attention, and she lives practically confined to that apartment from which she barely leaves. The appearance of the gentle Jim will unleash a conflict as it becomes clear how the most beautiful dreams can be demolished by overwhelming reality.
Rarely is the exact combination of text, great performances and impeccable direction presented on the billboard as in this case. The work of Pelicori, who played the role of Laura in a version directed by Hugo Urquijo, in 1991, is dazzling for the use of tones and nuances that take her from initial nervousness to final despair. Rittano, Figó and Urbaneja are not far behind him. All three are some of the best actors of their generation and exhibit deep sensitivity and conviction in their work. The result is unmissable.
