Play Guide [1.2MB PDF] - Arizona Theatre Company

DEFENSE
IN DEFENSE OF THE MATRIARCH
In literature, mythology, and drama, one can easily identify the traits of the archetypal
mother. She is sweet, kind, loving and loyal, devoting all of her energy to the well-being
of her husband and family. Indeed, the virtues of these matriarchal characters are often
exaggerated to the point that real-life women cannot possibly measure up. Therefore, it
may surprise audiences that Amanda, the matriarch in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass
Menagerie, is anything but perfect. Based upon Williams’s own mother Edwina, Amanda
embodies what can happen when a mother’s wish for her family’s happiness goes too far
and ventures into the realm of fantasy.
Some viewers perceive that
Amanda lives in a world of
her imagination, choosing
to remember an idealized
past rather than face grim
realities. Others perceive that
she has an acute sense of
reality she uses to create an optimism that is false. Either
way, since her husband has abandoned her to raise two
children alone in a time period when a woman on her own
would have been in a precarious position, her situation is
bleak. However, Amanda succeeds in keeping her family
afl oat through sheer force of will by exerting control on
her remaining family members. She wants what is best
for them, which is shown by her worrying that Tom’s late
night activities may endanger his job and signing Laura up
for a secretarial course. Both actions are symptoms of her
desire to see Tom and Laura well-placed. However, her
controlling nature takes a toll on her relationships with
her now-adult children. Amanda’s motherly concern and
eternal optimism for Laura’s prospective suitors end up
coming across as overbearing, unwittingly insensitive, and
The strongest infl uences in my life and my work
are always whomever I love. Whomever I love
and am with most of the time, or whomever I
remember most vividly. I think that's true of
everyone, don't you? – Tennessee Williams
Costume Design for Amanda
by designer Emily Pepper
at times even delusional. Amanda means well, but the best of intentions can have the
worst consequences. Her love smothers her children and the safe haven she attempts
to create for them actually oppresses them both, leaving Laura and Tom both longing to
escape.
- written by Alicia James, dramaturgical intern
The Glass Menagerie
Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 15