Summary

Tennessee Williams was a virtually unknown in the American theater when his play, "The Glass Menagerie," opened in 1945 at the Playhouse Theatre on Broadway in New York City. His full-length Broadway-bound play, "Battle of Angels," had been a critical and commercial failure in Boston but never reached the stage in New York. "The Glass Menagerie," despite its sold-out opening night, faced an uncertain future. The pivotal role of Amanda Wingfield had been cast to Laurette Taylor, a fading stage actress whose alcoholism was at an advanced stage. Nevertheless, many came to see Taylor because of her long and visible stage presence. In his ill-fitting and frumpy suit, the 34-year-old playwright was described by one observer as appearing like "a farm boy in his Sunday best."

By this time, Williams had secured Audrey Wood as his literary agent. Some of the other...