Discouraging the pursuit of the arts. Pressuring daughters to get married. Balancing familial responsibilities with personal dreams.
These were elements of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” which MFA directing student Alvin Chan said resonated with him and his Chinese-American upbringing. These connections prompted Chan to direct a reimagining of the classic play through the lens of a Chinese-American family.
“It was something that you would never have thought of before,” Communication sophomore Jared Son said. “But as soon as you read it that one way, it changes the way you think of the play forever.”
Son plays Tom Wingfield, who lives in 1930s St. Louis with his mother Amanda (Emily Zhang) and shy sister Laura (Hannah Julie Yoon). Amanda is determined for her children to have a better future, discouraging Tom’s aspirations to be a poet and hoping Laura will marry a “gentleman caller.” The audio drama was available on-demand through the Wirtz Center from January 8-10.