Review: Riverside production of ‘The Glass Menagerie’ sparkles

A classic script, a striking set, and a compelling cast come together in Riverside Theatre's production of Tennessee Williams' 'The Glass Menagerie.”

Under the direction of Steven Marzloff, Jim Van Valen led the cast through a flawless performance on Friday's opening night.

The play, of course, is a treasure. Williams' script tells the story of the Wingfield family. Tom Wingfield, played by Van Valen, takes us back to a pivotal moment in his family's history. Amanda Wingfield (Jody Hovland), long since abandoned by her husband, is desperate to find a match for her painfully shy, crippled daughter, Laura (Catherine Backer). She begs Tom to bring a gentleman caller home from the warehouse where he works. At first, Jim O'Connor (Aaron Weiner) seems like the answer to the Wingfields' prayers, but a misunderstanding undermines their hopes.

Van Valen delivers a superb performance. Whether his character is gazing upon scenes from his family's past with regret or participating in the action, Van Valen always is convincing. He perfectly captures the youthful Tom's frustrations as well as the elder Tom's abiding sadness.

In Marzloff's conception of the play, Tom is controlling the theatrical aspects of the play as they unfold. Much of this is portrayed as an extension of the 'magic” the character talks about in the opening moments of the play. But it also plays out during intermission as Van Valen, in character, sets the stage for the second act before snapping his fingers to bring down the lights and return us to the world of the play. It's an exceptionally well-handled device.

Hovland matches Van Valen's achievement in her portrayal of Amanda, laying bare the character's desperate hopes and crushing disappointments. The scenes in which Amanda and Tom try, but fail, to come together to help Laura simply are excellent, whether the characters are sitting in stony silence or raging at one another.

Backer portrays Laura's fragility with great sensitivity. Her key scene with Weiner builds slowly but relentlessly toward a hope that is to be snatched away, and Backer handles the rise and fall of the scene perfectly. Weiner finds the right tone for O'Connor's clumsy but apparently well-intentioned efforts to bring Laura out of her shell.

Scott Olinger's set combines beauty and functionality. Scrims serve as walls, allowing the audience to sometimes see through them to the rooms behind the main playing space. The picture of the absent Wingfield patriarch, which is a key part of the story, is placed behind one of these scrims and highlighted, as needed, by its own spotlight. The effect calls attention to the ways in which the family is haunted by their absent husband and father. Kristen Geisler, the show's lighting and projections designer, has done an exceptional job turning the set into a dreamlike space.

SHOW TIMES: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Also: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19-21; 3 p.m. Nov. 22.

WHERE: Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City

TICKETS: Call 319-338-7672 or get them in person at the theater, 213 N. Gilbert St, Iowa City, 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or one hour before each show.

COST: Adults: $30 for adults 60 and older; $28 for adults 30 and younger; $18 for ages 18 and younger. Thursday Student Special: $12 for college students - bring ID.