The Glass Imaginary ~ [The Drayton Arms Theatre] ~ Review

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Tennessee Williams is arguably one of the greatest playwrights in the last century, and certainly one of the most influential. His style is unmistakable, his stories of domestic struggles set in the American South told with a stark honesty and a lyrical turn of phrase are a successful formula for some of the best plays of the past hundred years. Classic tales like A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat On a Hot Tin Roof are iconic, and Tennessee Williams’ penchant for giving stories to previously unheard voices with gritty realism makes him one of the founding fathers of modern theatre.

The Glass Imaginary is a completely improvised full length play in the style of Tennessee Williams. The company began by asking the audience to name an object that their grandparent owned as a prompt, the evening I was watching the object picked was a gramophone, and from there an incredible tale of doubt, financial hardship, and unrequited love was woven.

This show could not have worked even nearly as well without the entire cast having an incredibly insightful understanding of the character relations, physicality, and speech patterns found traditionally in Tennessee Williams’ work. The improv is as smooth and silky as the rich Southern drawls it’s performed with. It’s bold, it’s fearless, and it’s unwavering.

The relationships between the characters are deep, meaningful, and created seamlessly with multi-layered complexity. The way these actors keep up with the many plots, places and characters is astounding, referencing earlier events and even earlier dialogue after significant time has passed. They set one another up and work collaboratively as a company without appearing obvious or forced, it’s a marvel to witness.

Like any Tennessee Williams play The Glass Imaginary is an emotional rollercoaster representing the real highs and lows of domestic drama, sometimes hurtling along with quick, witty humour, and at other times the plot twisting unexpectedly and travelling through moments of deep, heartfelt connection which stirs an ache in the very depths of the human soul. It’s enough to remind anyone of why the work of Tennessee Williams is so darned irresistible.

Each of the classic Tennessee Williams character types are present, they at least were in the show I saw – the confident everyman, the closeted homosexual, the naïve girl destined to fall from grace, the good Christian, the devoted but yearning wife/mother, and the strong smart-talking woman.

The simple adjustment of the positioning of furniture and a variation in placement of cushions and blankets effectively transports the audience to different settings. The staging is interesting and yet simple, using no set or props other than a sofa, a desk, two chairs, a coffee table, a coat rack and two bibles to perfectly set each scene regardless of location.

The two act play is faultlessly paced, a remarkable feat in and of itself. There are barely any false starts, stutters, or overlaps, and those that could be found are few, far between and, most importantly, instantly recovered from.

The Glass Imaginary perfectly captures the formulaic concoction which makes Tennessee Williams’ work so distinctive and so universally well loved. The actors all take it in turns to set the next scene and the rest of the company follow up by building wonderfully deep, multi-dimensional characters with complex interweaving stories and a coherent overarching narrative. Plots twists which can turn on a dime decide the fates of these sympathetic new born characters, who roll out life lessons in profound sounding quips and present a play which is amusing, entertaining, but also sad, engaging and raw.

I never knew that improv could be this genuinely compelling.


THE GLASS IMAGINARY: An Improvised Play
The Improvised Play Company
The Drayton Arms Theatre 4th - 8th February 2020
@Glass_Imaginary
Produced by Presence Theatre Collective

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆