When we opened the Black Box Theatre a few years ago, my first thought was, "What a great venue for The Glass Menagerie!" I was just waiting for the right group of people to turn up. Then, the State passed a law banning pyrotechnics of any kind. Of course, most of the second Act of The Glass Menagerie is done in candle light. I was really upset. Then, I remembered a touring production of Phantom of the Opera that had come to Houston some years ago and the artificial candles that were used in the canal scene. I knew the technology was out there somewhere! After a lengthy search on the internet, I finally found them, and this show was again a possibility! When you view the photos of the show, please remember that the candles are artificial, and they looked even better live than they do in the photos!

I first fell in love with this play while teaching it as part of the Junior English curriculum. The true test of any playwright is the test of time. Are his themes universal enough to be relevant to audiences across the ages? This play was written just after World War II, and it still touches audiences, as it touched them then. The story, the characters, the emotions remain a relevant part of the human experience. I was very pleased with the cast. They brought it all on stage. The show was really beautiful technically, as well. I hope you got to see it. If not, enjoy the photos.

I chose to put the fire escape, which doubles as a porch for some scenes and the home of the narration scenes, actually in the audience. The railing was 3/4 metal tubing welded together and the bricks are styrofoam with drywall compound as mortar. I thought the porch light was a nice touch.

I chose to place the apartment set on an elevated platform and use the negative space of the black curtains instead of walls to define the performance space. The furniture is vintage pieces from the period which we have owned for years.

We fashioned the Paradise Dance Hall sign in the shop from plywood, a flourescent fixture, some clear plastic tubing, and some lighting filters. I wanted it to look like neon. The effect was pretty good. The entire box just dispeared against the black of the theatre.

The script calls for this photo of the departed father. I chose to light it with an independent special whenever it was mentioned. The photo is almost a fifth character in the play. When searching for images of men from the time period just after World War I, I came across this photo of Alvin C. York, the famous WWI heroe. How could I pass up using it?

Tom, as the narrator, exists in the time just following World War II. He is dressed in a naval "P" coat and watch cap, as he is returned from sea with the Merchant Marines.

Why do I always chose plays with food? It is so difficult to deal with. This time, we kept it pretty simple and used small frozen dinners. Thank goodness for microwave ovens!

The typewriter used in this scene is a portable model from the period. The alignment is off, but it works enough to make the sound of believable typing.

The victrola is just a shell. It has no working parts. In fact it has parts at all. The music had to be generated over our sound system. However, the 78rpm records were the actual thing. These came from my mother's collection.

I chose to use a modern middle school yearbook, because it was small and the photos were all black and white. We were careful to keep the front cover from the audience's view.

This an actual candlestick telephone dated 1898. I chose to use this type, because Amanda lives in another era. Also, my research revealed that this type of phone did not disappeare from use completely until after World War II.

This is a practical prop using a 40 watt bulb. A brighter bulb would have been annoying to the audience's eyes. The lamp is a style of the period, but was purchased at a local hardware store for this production.

The railing was created in the Ag. Mechanics shop to my specs. Tom was a large boy, so it had to really sturdy. The Ag. boys did a great job!

Tom passes out on the porch after a very late night at the movies, leaving Laura to deal with him.

The next scene finds Tom passed out on the couch. The transition was done with the sound of an annoying alarm clock which rang for almost a minute followed by Amanda screaming, "rise and shine!"

This scene was mosly improvised by the actors and had some really cute and humorous moments.

Tom informs Amanda of the accepted invitation by the "gentleman caller."

The first Act ends with Amanda telling Laura to make a wish on the moon. I liked the lighting filter chosen for the moonlight.

Amanda pins the hem of Laura's dress. The actress had to articulate around a mouthful of pins.

This can be an awkward scene, however, the actresses never even hesitated. They were completely beleivable.

Amanda models her "old" dress which she has had to alter for the occasion.

The artificial candles make their entrance.

I was so pleased with the way they looked, I did not hesitate to bring them to within four feet of the front row. We assisted the candles in these scenes with area lighting at 30%.

The music comes through the door from Paradise Dance Hall. I chose Moonlight Serenade for this romantic moment.

The Gentleman caller takes the bait and falls into the trap. It isn't long before he is clawing his way out.

Amanda brings lemonade for the young couple before she learns that he is engaged.

Amanda accuses Tom of making a fool of them with an engaged man.

Laura blows out each candle as the play ends. I had to install a micro switch on each candle to facilitate this action. The support lighting was lowered 10% with each candle as it was extinguished.