Ross Valley Players celebrates its 94th season with The Glass Menagerie on stage now through October 14. The show opened for one weekend in March 2020, then closed due to the pandemic. Some of the original team has returned along with new cast, crew and designers to produce an entertaining and moving production of Tennessee Williams’ classic drama.
David Abrams does a fine job as director and also acts in the role of Tom Wingfield, a young man living with his mother Amanda (Tamar Cohn) and sister Laura (Tina Traboulsi) in a small St. Louis apartment in 1937. The only other character is Tom’s friend Jim O’Connor played by Jesse Lumb. These extraordinary actors along with a fabulous production team bring the fragile existence of these characters to life.
As the play begins we see Tom staggering home after a heavy night of drinking. Abrams brings out the character’s discontent, boredom and ambivalence with the obligations he feels to his single mother and sister.
Traboulsi is brilliant in the role of Laura. Her voice, movements and mannerisms well reflect a shy young woman whose main interest in life is her collection of small glass animal figurines.
Cohn is spectacular and convincing playing Amanda, a middle aged woman who escapes her disappointment with denial and memories of her youth as a Southern belle surrounded with beauty, grace and charm.
Lumb is excellent as Jim, the friend and hoped for (by Amanda) gentleman caller for Laura. Lumb is spot on as the promising kind suitor. When he and Laura meet, they discover they knew each other in high school and slowly, with the help of a little wine and a dance, Laura begins to come out of her shell. The two actors shine in the last half hour of the play. Their acting is truly outstanding.
Kudos to Michael Berg (Costumes), Billie Cox (Sound), Tom O’Brien (Set) and the entire production team for their dedication and talent, especially Steve Price (Producer). Coming up next at Ross Valley Players is It’s a Wonderful Life by Joe Landry and directed by Adrian Eifenbaum, November 17-December 17.
