THE GLASS MENAGERIE
AUDITIONS / oct 20 & 21 @ 6:00 pm
PERFORMANCES / JAN 23-25 & 30-FEB 1, 2026
Director / Judy Harper
Intimacy Coordinator / Melanie Frasca
About the Show
The Glass Menagerie is a “memory play” narrated by Tom Wingfield, recounting his difficult final months with his mother, Amanda, and fragile, reclusive sister Laura. Overbearing Amanda is stuck in her Southern belle past and wants to find Laura a husband, while Tom, frustrated by his job and his mother’s control, escapes through movies and writing. After Tom brings a “gentleman caller,” Jim O’Connor, home for dinner, Laura’s hopes are briefly lifted before Jim reveals he is engaged. The play explores themes of illusion vs. reality, familial obligation, and the struggle to escape oppressive circumstances, as Tom ultimately leaves his family to pursue his own dreams.
From the Director
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is the definition of a memory play and challenges the audience to question which character has the truest recollection of the Windfield family dynamics. Williams is a master at creating characters whose complexities allow any actor the opportunity to peel away the intricate layers of a character to discover the essence of who they are and convey that message to the audience.
As the director, I have the opportunity to support actors as they make this discovery for themselves and relish the collaboration that will surely evolve in bringing the story to life on the stage. I have been involved with the Bay City Players since 1986 in varying roles including acting, stage managing, and directing. I have also been involved with Pit & Balcony, MCFTA, Van Buren Street Theatre, and Clio Cast & Crew. I have a B.A. in English and Theatre and a Masters in Education. I am thrilled to add this production to my theatrical journey.
Judy Harper
Director
What to Prepare
- Fill out the audition form
- Review the tentative rehearsal schedule and mark all conflicts (existing and potential) on your audition form
- Auditions will consist of cold reads from the script. If you would like to become familiar with the show before auditions, you may check out a script at Bay City Players during our office hours (M-F 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM).
Script Checkout Policy
If interested, you can check out a script for a play by placing a $20 refundable deposit. Scripts can only be checked out for ten days and must be returned prior to auditions.
Character Breakdown
Amanda Wingfield – female 50+
Matriarch. Amanda is a former Southern belle obsessed with her youth and former social status, which she constantly recounts to her children.
She is vivacious and loving but also pragmatic, yet her attempts to control and “improve” her children often backfire.
Amanda is trapped by her memories of a vanished genteel past and the need to secure a future for Laura, which she believes can only be done through marriage.
She is simultaneously admirable, charming, pitiable, and laughable.
Laura Wingfield – female about 20-30s
Amanda’s daughter and Tom’s sister, Laura, is physically delicate due to a childhood illness, leaving her with a limp.
She is extremely shy, sensitive, and socially awkward, preferring the company of her glass figurines and old records to the outside world.
Laura finds solace and escape in her “glass menagerie”—a collection of delicate glass animals—which symbolizes her own fragility and retreat from life’s anxieties.
Tom Wingfield – male 20-30s
The son of Amanda and brother to Laura, Tom is the narrator and protagonist, telling the story from his memories.
He works at a shoe warehouse to support the family but is deeply frustrated by his mundane job and the stifling home life.
Tom yearns for freedom, often going to the movies or writing poetry as a means of escape, but is ultimately unable to escape his memories or his family.
Jim O’Connor – male 20-30s
A high school acquaintance of Laura and a coworker of Tom, Jim is invited to the Wingfield’s apartment as a potential suitor for Laura.
He represents a brief moment of normalcy and hope in the play, a glimpse of a life Laura might have had.
Jim ultimately reveals that he is engaged, leaving Laura’s fragile hopes shattered
Audition Disclosure
Michigan State Police iChat Clearance is required to participate in any production and will be completed at the first read or first rehearsal.
Bay City Player’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vision Statement:
The theatre has long been a haven for self-expression and restoration of the spirit. However, we recognize there is great inequity in our world. We embrace the opportunity to learn from the worldwide call for allyship with respect to the voices of all marginalized people. We understand that impactful and long-lasting change takes time and a shared commitment. Bay City Players is dedicated to authentic Diversity, Inclusion and Equity across all spectrums and will continue to seek innovative ways to achieve this.
Bay City Player’s Makeup Policy
Bay City Players has implemented a new Makeup Policy for the safety of cast members. Each cast member is asked to purchase their own Ben Nye makeup kit to keep with intent to reduce the spread of germs resulting from sharing makeup. Cast members do not have to purchase a kit if they have a Ben Nye kit from a previous show. The kit costs $26. Kits last approximately two years if taken care of properly. Should you not be able to cover the cost of your kit, scholarships are available and kept confidential. Scholarships can be requested by informing your producer and/or emailing info@baycityplayers.org. The Makeup Chair will meet with cast to help them select the correct kit and Bay City Players will order all the kits. Payment will be collected before kits are ordered.