Music in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

2178 Words5 Pages

Music in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams "Legend: 'Terror!" many people wouldn't even know what a legend is let alone what this phrase means. In the play 'The glass Menagerie" written by Tennessee Williams, legends which are short phrases or words, and images are projected on a special screen device that is specified for this certain play. This play has four main characters including Amanda, Tom, Laura and Jim who is also known as the gentlemen caller. The play is a memory play and includes a vast variety of visual and musical effects to create the feeling of memory as well as many other emotions and atmospheres. Even though some critics believe that the visual and musical effects used in 'The Glass Menagerie' are what make it such an effective play, some others believe that the play has a unique sense of effectiveness on its own. The musical and visual effects collaborate with it well, but the play can still be an interesting play by it self. Williams provides a lot of information for the director about the set, lighting, music and the unique screen device that is specified for the play. The set is unique and is thoroughly described in the stage directions on the first page of the play. "The Wingfield apartment is in the rear of the building. The apartment faces an alley and is entered by a fire escape." The fire escape plays an important part in the play because it is how the characters enter onto stage, and it is also the line, which defines Tom playing his remembered character and Tom narrating the play. The stage directions also include that the set also has a down stage and an up stage, this is to help the director when he comes to position the characters. Up stage and down stage are... ... middle of paper ... ...ical effects, also to the uniqueness of the screen device and also to obscure story line of the play. It's a breath of fresh air because it is one of the most realistic plays that most people would ever come across. Usually in plays, which include a man and a woman in a romantic story line, end in living happily ever after, whereas this play proves that life is not really like that. This is one of the reasons why the audience would probably enjoy the play. If the play did not have the visual and musical effects it would still be a decent play, they just add and collaborate to the dialogue to make it into a uniquely great play. They also create an atmosphere, which cannot be created with acting by itself. In all the play is unique and interesting but, the visual and musical effects are what make up a great deal of the play and add to the originality of it.

Open Document