A staged reading of Tennessee Williams’s “The Glass Menagerie” produced by Center Stage at the Southampton Arts Center will open on January 27 for a one-weekend run. Performances will be held on Saturday, January 27, at 2 and 7 PM, and Sunday, January 28, at 2 PM.
“The Glass Menagerie,” a well-known and loved literary classic, is a memory play with strong autobiographical elements providing a multifaceted look at a dysfunctional family in the late 1930s. It delves into familial obligations, human frailty, and its characters’ misplaced hopes and dreams. Joan Bennett Lyons directs.
“I chose this particular play because I love Tennessee Williams’s work,” Lyons said. “I am a big fan of John Steinbeck, and I always felt a similarity between Williams and Steinbeck in the way they wrote their characters. There was always a darkness to both of their characters, and I wanted to explore that.”
As a member of the Center Stage committee at the Southampton Arts Center, theatrical director for Center Stage, and founder of a local theater company in the early 2000s, Lyons has produced, directed, choreographed, stage managed, and performed in and for numerous musical revues, concerts, dance showcases, plays, musicals and original productions on the East End over the last several decades as well as providing instruction in numerous theatrical disciplines including jazz, tap, and children’s vocals and character development.
The cast includes Tamara Froebel Salkin as Amanda, Zianya Quiroz Kane as Laura, Vincenzo Harty as Tom, Kieran Conlon as Jim, and Kristin Whiting as the host.
“I have worked with Kristin Whiting (host) and Tamara Salkin (Amanda) extensively. They are two of the very finest actors I’ve worked with – dependable, giving, and directable,” Lyons continued. “I’ve guest directed for Tamara’s South Fork Performing Arts where I met Kieran (Jim) and worked with him on ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile.’ He’s got such a natural boy-next-door charm about him that I love for this character. I met Zianya (Laura) through Tamara as she’s also one of Tamara’s students, and her sweet innocence and innate read of the character is perfect for Laura. I met Vincenzo (Tom) when I saw him in Michael’s WOTW production and was enamored with Timber and his use of his voice.”
Tickets are available at southamptonartscenter.org/live. Complete your afternoon or evening with brunch or dinner. Southampton Publik House offers 15% off. There’s a $25 brunch on Sunday, January 28 at Fellingham’s. Proof of ticket purchase is required.