‘Glass Menagerie’ reimagined at the Arizona Theatre Company
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Arizona Theatre Company is celebrating the start of the new year with one of the most prolific plays of all time, “The Glass Menagerie,” with support from corporate sponsor UnitedHealthcare.
The beloved piece, written by Tennessee Williams, is a poetic and raw portrayal of a family on the brink of change that explores the complex web of love, longing, loyalty, and constraints that bind us together.
This reimagined classic, directed by ATC’s Associate Artistic Director Chanel Bragg, will run Feb. 16 through March 5 in Phoenix, according to a press release.
“I want my ATC directorial debut to be a love letter to my state theater, a nationally recognized member of the League of Resident Theatres that prides itself on producing and presenting world-class productions that can be accessed in our own backyard. As a proud Arizonan, my vision of this classic is rich with representation across the state.” Ms. Bragg said in a prepared statement.
“In my reimagining of this timeless work, I will be examining the play’s central theme exploring selective memory as a coping mechanism. Audience members will be introduced to a fifth character of our play, personified using music. And finally, my casting choices are meant to interrogate ‘the nuclear family’ construct, modernizing how families look today.”
Ms. Bragg has been highlighted in PHOENIX Magazine’s “Great 48” (2022); American Theatre Magazine’s “10 Rising Black Women to Watch in the American Theatre” (2022); and is a recipient of the Arizona Capitol Times award for “Leader of the Year” in Arts & Culture (2021).
She is ecstatic to direct her first Arizona Theatre Company production post guest directing at St. Louis Repertory Theatre, which garnered her an “A-List Editor’s Choice Award” in 2022 from St. Louis Magazine, the release states.
New works Ms. Bragg has directed include a workshop of “Reggie Hoops” written by Pulitzer finalist Kris Diaz in New York City, “Loz Feliz” written by Pulitzer nominee Christopher Oscar Peña and featured at UC Santa Barbara, and locally, she was a featured director in The Phoenix Theatre Company’s annual New Works Festival for both “Enferma” and “Click Bait.”
Outside of her notable acting and directing accolades, Ms. Bragg has also co-founded two initiatives including The Soul of Broadway performance troupe and The United Colours of Arizona Theatre, with an emphasis to inspire diversity, equity and true inclusion within the state’s local arts community.
Performances will be held at the Herberger Theater Center, found at 222 E. Monroe St. in downtown Phoenix.
