There are niches galore in the Twin Cities’ vibrant theater scene. For example, Children’s Theatre Company is designed for the youngest among us, while History Theatre focuses upon stories from the state’s past. And, if you’re in the mood for a musical, head out to Chanhassen Dinner Theatres if you want a conventional interpretation or to Theater Latte Da if you want something more inventive and imaginative.
But Latte Da is playing against type this month by presenting a classic American drama, Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” Yes, the company’s artistic director, Justin Lucero, incorporates music into his staging, but Katharine Horowitz’s score consists mostly of atmospheric tones, some of it produced by fingers running around the rims of glassware.
Amy Eckberg (Laura) and Brandon Brooks (Jim) in Theater Latte Da’s production of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” a departure from the company’s custom of producing almost exclusively musicals. The show runs through March 1, 2026 at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis. (Dan Norman / Theater Latte Da)
Yet the artistic decision that sets this version of Williams’ oft-produced play apart is a design that incorporates video cameras into the action and casts large-scale projections of the actors in closeup across the wall behind them. While it can be jarring to be addressed by an expansive disembodied mouth or peered at by an enormous set of eyes, it makes for a far more intimate experience. And that proves valuable in a play about vulnerability, establishing connections and severing them.
“The Glass Menagerie” is the play that put Tennessee Williams on the map, catapulting him to fame upon its Broadway premiere in 1945. It takes us to a St. Louis apartment shared by aging southern belle Amanda and her young adult children, Laura and Tom, the latter holding a warehouse job that makes him the household’s chief breadwinner. Laura is a painfully shy recluse who finds comfort in her collection of glass animals, but the extroverted Amanda is determined to marry her off.
It stands as one of American theater’s great character studies, as Williams crafted four memorable individuals and set them off into clashes and connecting conversations. It’s a talky script, but one that allows its actors to show off their skills in producing layered portrayals.
And Latte Da’s staging features four exceptionally well-rendered performances. The video elements serve Dustin Bronson well. As Tom, he acts as our narrator and the chief force of fury as he seeks to burst free from his family bonds. And the closeups allow for some wistfulness and conflicted feelings to more clearly emerge. Yet no camera is needed when his eruptions occur, for his rage and desperation can be felt all the way to the back of the cozy Ritz Theater.
Meanwhile, Norah Long is simply magnificent as his mother and chief antagonist. Long brilliantly captures Amanda’s unique blend of charm, eccentricity and anxious inner tumult, most memorably during a fire escape exchange with Tom in which she seems to transform into the playful romantic of her youth. Like most of Williams’ heroines, Amanda enthusiastically embraces her delusions, and Long makes her a fascinating woman to watch.
Dustin Bronson (Tom), Amy Eckberg (Laura) and Norah Long (Amanda) in Theater Latte Da’s production of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” a departure from the company’s custom of producing almost exclusively musicals. The show runs through March 1, 2026 at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis. (Dan Norman / Theater Latte Da)
The video projections also bring audiences into closer contact with Amy Eckberg’s Laura, helping us see glimpses of the butterfly that struggles to emerge from its cocoon. And Brandon Brooks ably inhabits the “gentleman caller” who comes to dinner, in addition to creating the soundscape that gives this strong staging its eerie, haunted mood.
Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.
Theater Latte Da’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’
When: Through March 1
Where: Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE, Mpls.
Tickets: $75.75-$21.75, available at 612-339-3003 or latteda.org
Capsule: Video enhances the intimacy of a classic drama.
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