Friday, May. 08, 2009

OCTA pitching double-header of plays

The chance to see a classic play like “The Glass Menagerie” immediately followed by its parody doesn’t come along very often.

“It’s an interesting way to look at two sides of the coin,” said Shelly Stewart, who plays “the feminine caller” in the parody and also serves as publicity chair and historian for the board of Olathe Community Theatre Association. “It pokes fun in a loving way.”

For three weekends in May, OCTA is presenting both Tennessee Williams’ iconic “The Glass Menagerie” and the parody “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls” by Christopher Durang.

The idea to do the pair of plays in sequence came from director Darren Sextro, who directed last season’s “The Diary of Anne Frank”. OCTA puts its season together based on submissions from potential directors, who suggest the play, or, in this case, plays, they’d like to do.

Sextro wanted to direct Williams’ play, which never had been produced at OCTA in the theater’s 35-year history. He said he liked the idea of doing something more creative by pairing it with Durang’s parody.

“It’s a wildly unique opportunity to bring together a classic work of theater and its parody,” Sextro said. “They work well together.”

That pairing of plays was something else OCTA had never done. It gives audiences the chance to appreciate “the parallels” in the two plays by seeing them in the same evening, Sextro said.

“The Glass Menagerie” tells the story of faded Southern belle Amanda Wingate, her restless son, Tom, and her emotionally and physically crippled daughter, Laura. The arrival of “the gentleman caller” in the second act is pivotal to the play’s action.

“For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls” is a 30-minute, one-act play that tells the story of faded Southern belle Amanda Wingvalley, her son, Tom, her hypersensitive, hypochondriac son, Lawrence, and the arrival of “the feminine caller.”

Only one cast member remains the same in the two productions: Josh Davenport plays Tom. Although the character’s name is the same, the two roles are not, Davenport said.

“Tom’s dissatisfied with his home life in “The Glass Menagerie”. In the second show, he changes into a sailor-loving moviegoer,” he said. “It’s a very enjoyable challenge” playing the two roles.

Parallels between the two plays can be noticed in the set and even the costumes. Gayle Hutchens, the costume designer for both shows, said she brought “little tiny bits of ‘Glass Menagerie’ into ‘Southern Belle’.” For example, the same hat is worn by the gentleman caller and the feminine caller.

One difference: “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls” is definitely not a family-friendly show and does contain mature themes and references not appropriate for children.

Tickets may be purchased to either play or both. Pam Haskins, who plays Amanda Wingvalley and is secretary of OCTA’s board, likens the event to a three-act play.

For those who saw the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Glass Menagerie this winter, Sextro said, “We play up the relationships … we try to make it more accessible to the audience.

“And I love the relief of the parody at the end of the evening.”

For more information, call OCTA’s box office at 913-782-2990 or check the Web site at www.olathetheatre.org. Performances run through May 23.

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