About the Show

The newest work from storied experimental theater collective Mabou Mines is inspired by the complex relationship between Tennessee Williams and his sister Rose.

Framed through Williams’ 'The Two Character Play,' and interwoven with iconic narrative from many other Williams plays, short stories and poems, 'Glass Guignol' invites us to explore the constellation of questions this fascinating and troubled writer raises through a kaleidoscope of identities, histories, and secrets. Both metaphoric and literal, 'Glass Guignol' explores the nature of the creative process, its triumphs…and its terrors. Indeed, a puppet version of Mary Shelley, who knows a thing or two about fear and monsters, offers real-time commentary via texting.

Critic Reviews (2)

"Despite its fits of humor and flashes of ingenuity and borrowings from 'Frankenstein,' it rarely feels alive...In stitching so many of these plays together, Mabou Mines uncovers the deep structures underlying them...Though the ideas underpinning 'Glass Guignol' are shrewd, the biographical context wrenching, the staging seemingly audacious, the play itself is often inert...This is shock treatment with a low current."
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“The moments that this production chose to highlight from these various works revealed a story that I had not previously considered...A truly smart and performatively engaging work...If you are a fan of experimental theatre, Williams, amazing puppets, and/or plays that deal with mental health in a nuanced way, then this one is for you. And even if you aren’t very familiar with Williams’s work, I still firmly believe that this journey into the darkness of the looking glass is for you.”
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Trailer

Creative team