Dr. Kathy Welch directed Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," which ran in Blanche Davis Theater from Oct. 15 through 19.
The play, a memory piece set during the Great Depression, follows a struggling family forced to survive without their father. It is told through the memories of Tom Wingfield, played by Ryan Bartley, a dreamer trapped in the mundane life of a warehouse worker. His mother, Amanda, played by Olivia Denninger, struggles to keep the family together after her husband's departure. Laura, played by
Adrienne Quinlan, is the youngest in the family. She is painfully shy and is living in her own world until Jim O'Connor, played by Maxwell Labriola, arrives. Jim, a gentleman caller, is immediately fascinated by her.
The small cast size allowed Dr. Welch to spend a lot of one-on-one time with each member."Working with the actors to delve into the historical characters, but also try to break a little. Make it more individual to the actor, rather than relying on the idea of what these characters were supposed to be."
A contributing factor to the small cast size this semester is that the department is staging two plays. "Two short plays," Dr. Welch said, when asked about the next production 'Dead Man's Cellphone.' "It's a contemporary play, whereas 'Glass Menagerie' is an older piece.
'Dead Man's Cellphone' was written in 2007 by Sarah Ruhl, who's kind of a big deal. It's a dark comedy, it has to do with how we are alienated by our cellphones. There are funny moments, but it has a serious overtone to it, and it's kind of poetic!"
Dr. Welch emphasized the department's commitment to student involvement. "We do stuff every single semester and we love to get students involved in the shows. Our auditions are open to anyone who wants to be involved, they don't have to be SASA majors, and there are also volunteer opportunities for people who want to get involved backstage."
'Dead Man's Cellphone' premieres Nov. 12 at Sanford Syse Theatre and runs through Nov. 16. The production is directed by Michael Kerr.