There are few challenges that whet the appetite of actors quite like the prospect of performing in one of Tennessee Williams’ iconic plays — and the cast of TexARTS’ production of “The Glass Menagerie” is clearly capable of delivering the goods.

One word can sum up the director Michael Costello’s staging, which features actors Babs George, Jude Hickey, Jessie Tilton and James David Hurt — “terrific.”
However, for our purposes, we will expand and expound on the subject. Suffice it to say the show simply hits on all cylinders.
Hailed as “America’s greatest playwright,” the brilliance of Williams’ work well-chronicled. The subtly he weaves throughout “The Glass Menagerie” is matched blow for blow by this talented cast.
Williams’ dubbed his work as a “memory play” based on the memories of the show’s narrator, Tom Wingfield (Hickey). Set in St. Louis in 1937, Tom is an aspiring poet stuck in a dead end warehouse job. Forced by circumstance to live with his mother Amanda (George) and sister, Laura (Tilton), Tom must work to support them after his father abandoned the family years ago.
George’s is downright brilliant as the eccentric Amanda, who schemes, plots and plans ways to get her “crippled” daughter married. However, the character proves incapable of realizing that Laura is not so physically handicapped as she is “crippled” by her social timidity.
Simultaneously, Amanda’s nervous anxiety prompts her to lash out at her son, who spends his days dreaming of ways to escape the stifling confines of their apartment building.
George’s has all the right ticks and tweaks that make the mother jump right off the stage. It isn’t any wonder why she is regarded as one of Austin’s finest actors. Her amazing performance is perfectly complimented by the rest of the cast.
Hickey does a fine job, wistfully recounting his attempt to bring a “gentleman caller” to meet his sister. Moving between the past and the present, he brings an ease and charm to the character that keeps the show’s pacing on target. His angst is obvious, yet realistic.
Our gentleman caller (Hurt) masters the art of the “huckster” character that Williams calls on again and again in his work. And Hurt brings just the right amount of chutzpah to the role.
Tilton is completely convincing as the shy and withdrawn Laura. Just as the character is portrayed in Williams writing, Tilton projects the same kind of inner, but unspoken, beauty the iconic writer intended. The audience can’t help but love her as she struggles to keep her fragile sanity intact at a time when an unmarried woman faced the stigma of being labeled an “old maid.”
Costello deserves plenty of credit for his eye for talent. He couldn’t have done a better job of casting “Menagerie.” He has the players working as a true ensemble, complimenting each other as they skillfully weave the story.
And for all the gravity Williams dishes out, the TexARTS production is laced with humor that bemuses the audience. Yet the laughter only sets up the final dramatic harpoon that Williams fires into the heart of “Menagerie.” Without superior acting, the show would fall flat, but that’s not the case here, as the cast embodies the essence of the play perfectly.
With all that said, it was disheartening to see TexARTS’ Kam and James Morris Theatre virtually empty on opening night. Amazingly, the cast didn’t allow the sparse audience to affect their performance. This finely crafted show should not be missed.
But you’re in luck if you haven’t seen this five star production yet — it runs weekends through March 14.
For students with identification, there is a Thursday special offer for $12 per ticket. New, $24 reduced ticket pricing is offered for all shows in upper corners and side seats introduced with this production. Other tickets remain the same prices — $30, $34 and $40.
Ticket may be purchased online at www.Tex-ARTS.org or by phone at 852-9079, ext. 101.