Tennessee Williams and raucous laughter do not typically go hand-in-hand, but a play coming to the Manship Theatre promises to have audiences laughing until their sides hurt.
“The Glass Mendacity,” co-produced by the Manship Theatre and actor Jamie Wax, combines some of Williams’ most famous works in a send-up that premieres Friday at 8 p.m. Jane Oldfield, executive director of the Manship Theatre, said the play offers a different view of events that occur in Williams’ plays. “The script was put together … to look at the lighter side of all the tragedy that occurs in his scripts and tales,” she said. Wax, who will also act in a surprise role in the play, said the play is enjoyable even for those not familiar with Williams’ work. “It’s a parody of ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ all jumbled up together,” Wax said. “If anyone has been studying Tennessee Williams … this play will hit home tremendously. Everything that is so serious and gothic and heavy about it, it sort of pokes fun at.” Wax said Williams’ work lends itself to satire. “He had such a strong Southern voice and such identifiable characters, and it’s done with such gravity and such seriousness that it’s just ripe for satire,” Wax said. “When someone is really great and really distinctive, it’s really easy to turn that into something funny and recognizable.” The play is fast-paced and is done in a readers’ theater style, Wax said. Wax said one of his favorite parts of working on this show has been reconnecting with some local actors, many of which attended the University. “It’s a really amazing cast,” Wax said. “Many of us are LSU graduates. In fact, the majority of us studied theatre at LSU and were involved in Swine Palace.” The humor of the play isn’t lost on the cast, and they have a hard time getting through rehearsals without laughing, Wax said. Acting in and producing the play has given Wax a greater appreciation for Williams’ work, and he said those who are familiar with the parodied plays will get a lot out of “The Glass Mendacity.” “I’m a huge, huge Tennessee Williams fan,” Wax said. “The bigger the fan you are of him, the more intricacies and details you’ll appreciate.” Wax said the play’s popularity in New Orleans led him to produce it in Baton Rouge. “It was a tremendous hit in New Orleans,” Wax said. “It won every award it could win. I’m really interested in building a cultural bridge between the New Orleans theater community and Baton Rouge. I’ve been wanting to bring this show to Baton Rouge audiences for a long time.” Oldfield also mentioned the desire to share the best arts from New Orleans with the capital city. “We have recognized that there is wonderful talent in Baton Rouge and wonderful talent in New Orleans,” Oldfield said. “We have a unique opportunity to share that talent and allow audiences to be able to see some of the best that New Orleans has to offer without having to drive to New Orleans.” “The Glass Mendacity” runs through the weekend, with shows Friday at 8 p.m. and 5 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are between $20 and $40, and student rush tickets will be available 15 minutes before the curtain for $15 with a valid student ID.
—-Contact Sarah Aycock at [email protected]