Last night Andrew and I went to see this play by Tennessee Williams. It was his first play that rocketed him to success where later in life he wrote plays like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Street Car Named Desire.

This production was from our local theatre company. I like going to these because they put on four shows a year, there’s a bit of variety and besides, you’re supporting the local arts in the community.

I’ve never read any of Tennessee Williams plays but I think this one is quite relevant for any time considering its themes.

When I read that this play was to be performed, I immediately booked a couple of tickets for Andrew and I. The only deciding factor was that it was Tennessee Williams. That’s it. I had no idea of the story nor the characters. It was a classic.

The story is about a family of a mother Amanda who used to be a southern belle back in the day stuck in the past. Her husband has left her and her two grown children. Laura, her fragile, socially awkward and highly anxious young woman who in her younger years wore a brace on her leg and now cannot walk properly (the underlying tension of her being a young unmarried and unwanted “cripple). Tom, her younger brother who is a poet working at a factory trying to provide for his mother and sister but who dreams of running away with the merchant navy.

Every character in the play is resentful of their life and wanting something more but unable to move ahead with their lives to change.

The only way out is Amanda’s insistence that Laura find a husband so she’s hell bent intent on getting “gentlemen callers” for Laura and asks Tom to invite any men from the factory over to meet Laura.

He invites Jim O’Connor, a brash young man with an excitement for the future and doing his best to develop himself so he could take part in America’s great future. He sees himself in television and has grand plans. However, to Laura, Jim was her high school crush and she has a hard time opening up to him. Until he kissed her….

Then he realised it was a mistake and he tells her that he’s with someone else. Engaged to be married to Betty and with that Laura’s hopes – as are Tom’s and Amanda’s are extinguished.

Before Jim leaves Laura gives him a little glass unicorn that Jim broke and I took that as Laura, who signifies all imagination, and safety of the world – her dreams dashed and her hopes snuffed.

The themes are about change, social isolation, resentment, fear. It’s also about the impact of how people who live in the past impact the lives of others never taking responsibility for themselves. Also how people with disabilities or mental illness were treated back in the 1940s. (The play was written in 1944 so we assume that it was set around the same time maybe just before the war because Tom referred to the “adventure” in Spain which I assumed was the Franco regime and how many Americans had gone over there (like Hemingway and Orwell) to fight the fascists.

I enjoyed the performance as I always do. However I was so knackered afterwards that I got home, got into bed and slept straight through to the morning. I’ve been feeling a lot tired than I normally do recently. I hope this feeling passes because it’s a slog to do some things.