Moments great and moments absurd.

As long as I am criticizing American theater, I will relate the worst moment of theater I have ever experienced.  Like many lovers of theater, my favorite play is Tennessee Williams'The Glass Menagerie. Like any true fan I wish I could could have seen the original 1944 production In Chicago with Laurette Taylor.  But without a time machine that's not possible, so I try to see as many new productions as possible. I was particularly excited when my friend Angie Radosh, a truly great actress, was scheduled to play Amanda Wingfield. She was superb, of course, but sadly in a production that was not worthy of her talents. Now, for that worst moment I mentioned.  If you know the play you know that Tom Wingfield is the dreamy and lost hero of this sad story. To open this production, the director had Tom coming down the main theater aisle flicking his Bic lighter and strutting with the same attitude as every gang member in West Side Story. It was the most ludicrous moment of theatrical direction I have ever seen, and a sacrilege to so corrupt this classic American masterpiece.

Note: the photo above of Laurette Taylor is a scene from what is arguably the greatest theatrical production in American theater history: the debut of The Glass Menagerie. Those who saw it, claim nothing can surpass it. Those who didn't more often than not put it at the top of the list of plays they would most like to have seen.