Jonathan Posthuma participates in the Dordt College theater production of "The Glass Menagerie"

2011 Oct 28

Called "the greatest of all American plays," Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie is a classic of the stage and was brought to life on the Dordt College stage.

Jonathan Posthuma of Brandon, Wisc., is the show's music composer and is playing the role of Tom Wingfield. Posthuma is a senior majoring in secondary education and music with an emphasis in choral and instrumental education. He also has a minor in the Kuyper Scholars Program.

The play takes viewers inside the life of a family filled with unrealistic dreams: Amanda, the overbearing mother, clings to youthful memories of rich suitors; Laura, the crippled daughter, plays with her collection of glass animals; and Tom, the frustrated son, secretly dreams of escape.

The story "reveals powerful things about broken relationships and provides the audience a glimpse into a family whose love for each other is so complicated: strong and fractured at the same time," said Teresa Ter Haar, Dordt College associate professor of theater and the play's director.

The play's genre of magical realism allows for some unique production elements. To illustrate the blending of magical elements with reality, Williams called for projected images. Though many productions choose to exclude this element, Dordt's production will include original projections that will enhance the expressionistic aspects of the play.

To learn more about Dordt College and it's theatre arts department, visit www.dordt.edu.