“The Glass Menagerie” takes the stage at the Sanctuary Theater starting Thursday for the Scranton Fringe’s 2026 mainstage season.
“The Glass Menagerie”
“The Glass Menagerie” is a play written in 1944 by American playwright Tennessee Williams. Throughout 82 years, “The Glass Menagerie” ran on Broadway, had a Broadway revival and a movie adaptation. Now, the show is set to run for one weekend in The Electric City.
The play explores themes of the difficulty with accepting reality, the power of memory and the inability of escapism.
Scranton Fringe’s stage production of “The Glass Menagerie” is directed by Scranton Fringe’s Executive Director, Conor Kelly O’Brien. The cast includes four local performers, Werner Christensen as Tom, Jennifer Frey Abdalla as Amanda, Angelina Capone as Laura and Tyler Floryan as Jim.
“This play has stood the test of time for over 80 years. It’s so real, yet theatrical and magical and interesting. There’s such a level of intimacy and vulnerability of the characters and their situation, their family dynamic,” O’Brien said.
Tickets for “The Glass Menagerie” are available online. Tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.
The Glass Menagerie
Thurs., Apr. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 11 at 7 :30 p.m.
The Sanctuary Theater
1735 N. Main Ave., Scranton
Radical hospitality
The organization's "Theater for the People" initiative is a chance for individuals and groups to receive free tickets to Scranton Fringe productions who may not be able to afford them otherwise.
“There’s no really complicated applications. We don’t make people jump through hoops,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said there have been anonymous donors for “The Glass Menagerie” to make tickets available. Though some are already claimed, email info@scrantonfringe.org to check ticket availability. Tickets through the initiative must be claimed in advance via email.
“We are proud of the work that we do, but we understand that times are tough, people may not have the money. So, as much as we can without sacrificing the quality of our work and the fairness to our artists and team members, we try to give away tickets as much as we can,” O’Brien said.
Sanctuary Theater
The Sanctuary Theater is located in North Scranton at 1735 N. Main Ave. Discovery Montessori provided Fringe with the location as the resident theater company.
“It’s in a beautiful former Baptist church…it has gorgeous hardwood. It’s a really intimate space. We’re super excited for it to be in the neighborhood,” O’Brien said.
What’s next?
Scranton Fringe is taking “Ulysses of Scranton” to the world’s largest arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. “Ulysses of Scranton” is inspired by James Joyce's “Ulysses.” O’Brien puts a Northeastern Pennsylvania scope on his version of the story.
“Ulysses of Scranton” premiered at the 2025 Scranton Fringe Festival before taking the show to Ballina, Scranton's sister city in Ireland.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 will feature “Ulysses of Scranton” at the Bedlam Theatre from August 7-29.
Scranton Fringe Festival
Any playwright who wants to bring their work to a Scranton stage can apply for the 2026 Fringe Festival. Shows should be production-ready and run 45 to 60 minutes long without intermission.
The Scranton Fringe website says, “We’re on the lookout for performances that challenge the norm, spark curiosity, and ignite conversation.”
Applications are due April 17 at 11:59 pm. More information can be found at scrantonfringe.org.
The 2026 Fringe Festival runs from October 1-10 through different venues in Scranton.
“We’re really excited that the organization in recent years has grown not just to be the festival, which is still our biggest event, but year-round programming. The Glass Menagerie is an example of us continuing to expand,” O’Brien said.