Fil-Am artists explore memory in ‘Glass Menagerie’

Filipino American theater makers (from left) Jomar Tagatac, Jeffrey Lo and Nicole Javier working on a scene in “The Glass Menagerie.” Photo from Juan Rebuffo

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American theater artists are exploring memory and psychology in a staging of playwright Tennessee Williams’ classic “Glass Menagerie.”

In the play, Tom longs to evade his monotonous day job and his mother Amanda. Recalling her debutante days, Amanda toils to find a match for her debilitatingly shy daughter Laura, who escapes the realities of her world through her collection of glass animal figurines.

Jomar Tagatac takes on the role of Tom while Nicole Javier will play Laura. Jeffrey Lo directs.

“The Glass Menagerie” runs until June 15, 2024 at the San Francisco Playhouse.

Williams is known for his other plays as well, including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” which was adapted for the big screen starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which was also adapted into a film starring Marlon Brando.

Challenging

Tagatac relishes the opportunity to work on a well-known American classic. “‘The Glass Menagerie’ is a memory play, specifically from the [viewpoint of] the character Tom. Tennessee uses beautiful language to talk about the past. So the challenge is to activate the language in a way that feels present, that feels alive,” he says.

“The writing is so deep and there are a million things to explore in a single line or passage of text. It’s been deemed a classic for a reason. The writing and the themes in the piece are of the highest caliber, and it bravely explores big ideas of class structure, family dynamics, the pursuit of a dream to be the person you desire to be.”

Tagatac has had several plays under his belt at the San Francisco Playhouse. He’s also performed with Theater Mu, American Conservatory Theater, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, California Shakespeare Theater and Magic Theatre, among others.

Timeless

Javier, on the other hand, is making her debut performance at the Playhouse. She’s performed with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, La Jolla Playhouse, San Jose Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory and Shakespeare Orange County, among others.

She talks about the play’s timelessness. “Sharing the play with this cast of players in 2024 continues to feel relevant even though it was set nearly 100 years ago, especially with the topics it floats to the surface,” she says. “It’s pretty cool that we get to consider how we’ve changed and grown as a society over this amount of time.”

She is also enjoying the challenges of fleshing out her character. “The story itself echoes some very relatable family dynamics. I’ve loved finding the ways our characters can push each other’s buttons as well as give comfort with just one glance,” she adds.

“As the actor who is playing Laura, who is often being spoken to or talked about, I’ve been given the wonderful challenge of discovering the nuances of how she absorbs the world around her without directly voicing it. My hope is that the audience can see both the finesse and strength that it requires to create anything that resembles ‘glass.’”

In addition to directing at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Lo has also helmed productions at Capital Stage, Hillbarn Theatre, Los Altos Stage Company and Palo Alto Players.

“There is so much to mind in every word of the script and we’re still discovering more and more layers every day of rehearsal,” Lo says.

“We have been so inspired as a team by the incredibly poetic and vivid stage directions that Tennessee Williams provides. We are leaning into … what it means to be stuck inside of your past and trying to write your way out of it in order to move forward with your life.”

“The Glass Menagerie” runs until June 15, 2024 at San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., San Francisco. Walter Ang is the author of Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater. Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.