When Greeks invade a Glass Store - Part 1

 GRGPS (George Raptopoulos - Georgia Psarra - Set) is proud to announce that our second project -within the larger "Spread Literature into the World!"- named "When Greeks invade a Glass Store", has already yielded crops! 

The first is here to merrily peruse and for us to grin broadly,

Our first guest blogger is Paschalis Paschalidis with his fruit of labour and love!

This year, as part of  the project “Spread Arts into the World, I was given the opportunity to undertake work  with one of the most famous and significant plays of the modern theatre. The Glass Menagerie by  Tennessee Williams is a play that every young person, and especially those  who love theatre, has to study, think about and be concerned with. A simple scene in an ordinary town, common urban people, a century of change are more than enough to set up a story of conflicts, love, hate and a journey  to the innermosts of the human soul.

  The role I had to act was  that of  Jim O’Connor. He is a young man, very popular at high school , but now living an ordinary tedious  life, much lower than his ambitions. Jim is a dreamer, but not just in words. He sets goals  and works hard to achieve them, in a society of misery and routine. He is the external observer, who joins the Wingfields’ house to change the balances, to offer a taste of the dream and, finally, to take it away for ever.

  This role is a challenge for every young and ambitious person. It is a sample of the modern European and American  theatre, where nothing is said, but everything is hidden behind some simple words, moves and reactions.

  During the scene, Jim plays a major role. He is the new person who has to deal with all the O’ Connor family. The pressing but glamorous Amanda, the disappointed and indifferent Tom and ,of course, the very special Laura, who is totally in love with him.

  We had to change some expressions of Jim in order to turn him into a modern Greek man who lives in America. During this whole process we discovered that there was no big difference between the psychology of Jim and that of a modern Greek who is forced to abandon his country and his dreams there in order to find a better future abroad. 

  Summarizing, the whole process of discovering, studying and playing this very difficult role was a challenge  but, at  the same time, an opportunity for me to discover a unique character. A person of another time, not so different from ours. The whole play made me reevaluate  some situations . Rethink, change my mind and for sure be concerned. I recommend  it to everyone!