The College of the Desert’s Performing Arts Department showcased its spring production of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

Set during the Great Depression in St. Louis, the story follows the Wingfield family.

Tom Wingfield (Andrew Alexander Delatorre) is the daydreaming younger brother of Laura Wingfield (Zayna Kabbara), a shy and frail young woman. They live with their overbearing mother, Amanda Wingfield (Deanna Paulsen), and all three struggle with the poverty affecting much of the nation at the time.

The story’s themes may resonate with anyone who has struggled to communicate with family members or simply keep their head above water.

The play opens with its main character and narrator, Tom Wingfield, who speaks to the audience from the memory of his childhood parlor.

With an evocative voice, he carries the audience back to St. Louis in the 1930s.

As his day-to-day life unfolds, viewers are introduced to his mother, Amanda, with whom he has a complicated relationship.

Together, they dwell on their financial hardships and share a growing concern for Laura, who struggles to connect with others because of a deformity in her left leg.

Laura spends much of her time tending to her collection of glass animal figurines, which fuels Amanda’s concern about finding someone to court her.

Later, Jim O’Connor, the gentleman caller (Ben Bieber), arrives for dinner after Tom invites him over as part of a plan with Amanda to set him up with Laura.

The play then follows the interactions between Jim and Laura as their relationship develops.

Director Denis McCourt and the cast and crew vividly brought the timeless story to life.

Enhanced by striking set design, compelling performances and precise lighting work, the production flourished.

Alongside McCourt was stage manager Alina Garcia, who was serving in the role for the first time in her career.

Garcia spoke about the challenges she faced during the production.

“At first, yes, it was difficult because it was a new cast,” she said. “It’s new people, so I need to adapt to them as best as I can to understand and figure out how to help them. But other than that, it’s all completely normal from the last play.”

The cast was also no stranger to challenges. Two of the actors, Delatorre and Paulsen, shared many intense scenes throughout the show, and both were asked how demanding it was to first rehearse and then execute on opening night.

Delatorre responded, “Yeah, it had to get a little sloppy before I got like that, but, I mean, when we first started rehearsing that scene, my heart started racing. I started sweating a little bit. It gets intense.”

Paulsen said she had never met Delatorre before rehearsals. “The moment we started working together, we had that chemistry,” she said. “It’s something you’re lucky to have, but then you also get spoiled by it. It’s not always going to be like that, but it takes almost no work for Andy and me to get in that space.”

Jim O’Connor, the gentleman caller (Ben Bieber), was introduced in the second act and quickly stole the show. Bieber said he prepared for the role by studying behavior. “So, you know, you just have to think, how would a gentleman really act in that scenario? And I believe I pulled that off pretty well,” he said.

Kabbara was asked about returning to the stage after a four-year break. “I was really nervous at first. Now I feel a lot less nervous because I think I’m surrounded by challenging people. I feel like we put a lot of work into it,” she said.

“The Glass Menagerie” reflects on the past while showing its relevance today. The play highlights timeless family relationships, the struggles each member faces, and how they respond to hardship. Overall, the production captured the authentic grittiness of life.

For more information on upcoming plays and shows at College of the Desert, visit collegeofthedesert.edu.