The Glass Menagerie at the Temple of Music and Art

What is a Memory Play?

The Glass Menagerie is often described as a memory play. Just what does that mean? In the stage directions, Tennessee Williams writes, “The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details, others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart.”
A memory play is therefore a play that is set apart from reality. In The Glass Menagerie, the events of the play are being remembered through the lens of Tom’s experiences. Thus, each event is colored by his perspective. Memory plays must have a narrator – someone whose memories guide the audience through the events of the play. Continue Reading …

Experience “The Glass Menagerie” – Get Your Tickets Today!
The Glass Menagerie runs at the Temple of Music and Art
January 21 – February 11, 2022.