The Nicholls Players will be presenting Thomas “Tennessee” Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” in Talbot Theater March 1 -16. Stanley Coleman, assistant professor of speech and theater, will direct the Nicholls Players in their presentation of the story of a dysfunctional family with a crisis. This will be their first ever performance of “The Glass Menagerie.”
The characters include Amanda Wingfield, a proud, vivacious mother of two who clings to memories of her genteel Southern upbringing; Laura Wingfield, a 23-year-old, shy young lady with a brace on one leg and an outstanding collection of glass figurines; Tom Wingfield, an aspiring poet working in a shoe warehouse to help support his family; and Jim O’Connor, a friend and coworker of Tom’s whom Tom selects as a possible suitor for Laura.
The cast consists of Laura Templet, an English education senior from Raceland, who will be playing Amanda; Joey Pierce, an English senior from Raceland, playing the role of Jim; Kirk Savoie, a criminal justice senior from Labadieville, who will be playing Tom; and Dacia Persilver, freshman from Franklin, who will be playing Laura.
Also important to the production of this work are the crewmembers – the ones behind the scenes – including Rick Duet, associate professor of mass communication, who will serve as the technical director. Other crewmembers include Nicole St. Laurent, English senior from Houma; Katie Lyn Boudreaux, psychology junior from Metairie; Kristin Adolph, freshman from Baton Rouge; and Brian Lutman, general studies sophomore from Slidell. A sixth grader from St. Genevieve Catholic School, Treva Breaux, will be assisting the crew.
“I truly look forward to working with these experienced and capable actors and can promise the audiences a first-rate show,” Coleman said. “We especially want to encourage students of Nicholls and the area high schools to see this literary masterpiece.”
“The Glass Menagerie” is reworked material from one of Williams’ short stories, “Portrait of a Girl in Glass.” It was written as a screenplay for MGM. It was also awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award.
The characters in the play represent Williams’ own family. Williams, being Tom, and his mother, as Amanda, took care of his socially-handicapped sister, Rose, depicted as Laura.
The play was revived on Broadway six times and now will make its first performance on the Talbot Theater stage, as presented by the Nicholls Players. The performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public.
