If you were looking for an open seat to see The Glass Menagerie, you were probably out of luck. On Thursday night I was fortunate enough to obtain a ticket prior to the doors opening. Unbeknownst to me, the theatre program had changed the way they sell tickets for performances. You pay what you can. Yes, that means you could pay three dollars or three hundred dollars for your ticket. Personally, I think that this is great idea for college students because sometimes I do not have five or six dollars to see a show and other times I do. I can also see the downside of this for the theatre department–the students in these shows spend hours and hours rehearsing and preparing for these performances and theoretically their entire audience could pay nothing (this probably would never happen, but it could). This also means that tickets sell out quickly because you can reserve tickets and not have to enter a credit card number or purchase tickets at the ticket booth with cash.
Knowing that I could possibly end up behind someone with a large hat, I arrived early to score my version of a perfect seat. Once in the theatre, I realized that this was not traditionally staged. I fell in love instantly. There was almost a catwalk that jutted out from a wide rectangle that had translucent curtains placed to look like a hallway. There was fog in the air that resembled looming dust. The only prop on the stage was a rickety looking fire escape off to the left of the curtains. The light was dim.
Source: juniataadmission.com
I sat and waited and hoped that this show was going to be as traditional as its stage. I was right. The music was wonderful, the lights spectacular, and the acting groundbreaking. I particularly enjoyed watching Laura, played by Megan Smith, who was magnificent. Megan trembled in the perfect spots and was able to change her voice ever so slightly depending on Laura’s mood. It was very dramatic in some portions of the show, but this was mostly overlooked. I thought that the rest of the characters were cast really well. The only small problem I thought of while writing this review was the lack of freckles on Jim’s face, played by Jamison “Jamer” Monella. I know this is something I could have very well missed because I was sitting a bit high, but even so I have seen other marks on an actor’s face in higher seats. This just bugs the inner theatre snob that I am because Laura specifically mentions Jim’s freckles prior to his entrance.
Overall, I thought this show was brilliant. If you were looking for traditional, it was not there, but I was glad for a change in pace. This might be why I saw some questioning faces when I left the theatre. If you did not get to see it, I am deeply sorry because I thought this production really demonstrated Juniata’s true talent in our theatre department.