Charleston Stage proudly presents an all-new production of Tennessee Williams’ timeless classic, The Glass Menagerie, at the Dock Street Theatre. This poignant memory play, a personal favorite of Charleston Stage’s Founder Julian Wiles, brings to life Williams' beautifully crafted tale of love, longing, and the delicate fragility of dreams. The production will feature Charleston Stage’s esteemed Artistic Director, Marybeth Clark, in the role of Amanda Wingfield.
Directed with passion and reverence by Founder Julian Wiles, this 2025 staging embraces Williams’ vision of storytelling through memory, infusing the production with evocative projections, lighting, and sound to immerse audiences in Tom Wingfield’s nostalgic reflections. As Tom himself says in the play’s opening lines:
“Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion. To begin with, I turn back time. I reverse it to that quaint period, the thirties.”
Inspired by his own youth, playwright Williams called The Glass Menagerie a “memory play,” drawing from his experiences growing up in a struggling household with a devoted yet overbearing mother and a beloved yet fragile sister. This deeply personal connection shaped a play that resonates across generations with its themes of family obligation, lost dreams, and the longing for escape.
The Charleston Stage creative team has meticulously crafted a production that honors Williams’ groundbreaking theatrical innovations. The original 1944 staging omitted some of his more ambitious technical elements, but this new adaptation integrates his intended use of projections, special lighting, and sound to enhance the dreamlike atmosphere. Complementing this vision, the production features moving incidental music by renowned Broadway and opera composer Mel Marvin, whose deep ties to Charleston Stage date back nearly 60 years.
Returning to The Glass Menagerie has been a profound experience for the director Julian Wiles:
“Charleston Stage has produced The Glass Menagerie twice before, but the last production was in 1997, so I was honored when asked to return to mount this all-new production, especially considering that it’s one of my very favorite plays,” Wiles shared. “Not only was I given a terrific design team but a remarkable professional cast as well.”
Leading that exceptional cast, Artistic Director Marybeth Clark brings depth and nuance to the role of Amanda Wingfield, inspired by Williams’ own mother. She is joined by Charleston Stage veteran Luke Shaw as The Gentleman Caller, who has performed with Charleston Stage since childhood, and two remarkable members of the Resident Professional Acting Company: Sam Majors as Tom, the play’s narrator and Williams’ fictional counterpart, and Abigail Vernon as Laura, the delicate and withdrawn sister modeled after Williams’ own beloved sibling, Rose.
This extraordinary production of The Glass Menagerie promises to transport audiences into a world where memories flicker like candlelight—faint, glowing, and hauntingly beautiful.
Show Details:
Dates: February 26th – March 16th, 2025
Times: Thu, Fri and Sat at 7:30pm / Sun at 2:00pm
Venue: Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Tickets: $52.25 - $90.25. Available online 24/7 at CharlestonStage.com or by Phone Tue-Fri 1:00pm-5:00pm at (843) 577-7183 or in person at the box office.
