Theatre Lab’s fifth season continues with The US premiere of The Glass Piano by Alix Sobler, which premiered last year at London’s Coronet Theatre—loosely based on the utterly fascinating case of the real Princess Alexandra of Bavaria. The Glass Piano explores the story of a princess who suffered from a delusion that she had swallowed a grand glass piano as a child and must maneuver delicately to avoid shattering it.
Even stranger, Alexandra’s “glass delusion” was not unique but relatively common among nobles and the upper classes, though the piano aspect does seem to be her invention. Men often had the delusion that they had glass buttocks, forcing them to go around with a pillow strapped to their behinds or that they were glass urinals.
In The Glass Piano, they visually represent Alexandra’s piano underneath her shimmering skirt. The result is that it’s not entirely clear whether we are supposed to read the play’s Alexandra (Diana Garle) as mentally disturbed or her plight as an instance of theatrical, magical realism.
While a scene in which a distraught Alexandra appears to vomit up glass and the play’s “shattering” conclusion suggests the latter, the fact that the piano shrinks when Alexandra is happier and disappears when she begins to undress the former suggests
Her father, King Ludwig (Desmond Gallant), and head maid Galastina (Irene Adjan) have accepted the piano as an immutable part of their lives. The two remain unfazed as the Princess contorts herself sideways through doorways and sit only on specialized ottomans.
If we understand that Alexandra’s problems are mental, it sure seems like they run in the family. Since Ludwig has legally forbidden divorce, her mother Vera opted to escape her husband by leaving the castle to roam its ground like a madwoman—and the self-absorbed and inflexible Ludwig has a few screws loose.
As Sobler points out in the play’s author’s note, Alexandra’s piano is a beautiful metaphor. Yet she goes on to wonder, “a metaphor for what?”—and the play’s answer isn’t entirely clear. Grief over Vera’s departure? Anxiety? Being a woman, being a noblewoman? Hemophilia? Or perhaps you’re meant to see naught but your reflection in Alexandra’s somewhat fine condition.
It’s tempting to compare The Glass Piano to The Glass Menagerie, not (solely) because it’s intriguing to compare everything to The Glass Menagerie or because of the similarities in title and core metaphors. There’s also the fact that it involves three characters who are semi-contently living at some remove from “reality” until the arrival of a stranger shakes things up. In this case, mysterious language scholar Lucien Bonaparte (Jovon Jacobs), also based on an actual historical figure.
Lucien helps Ludwig improve his poetry, which results in Ludwig and Galastina finally admitting their attraction to one another and consummating their relationship. Lucien also falls in love with Alexandra, which is when she begins to “shrink.”
However, the King’s refusal to reconsider his convictions makes neither union feasible, and from there, the previously whimsical tale turns surprisingly dark. The play’s focus is scattered, which made me hesitant whether the show fully earned this ending gravity. Not being able to pinpoint certain what The Glass Piano was about in a broader sense stopped its thematic loose ends from fully cohering into a satisfying mosaic.
There’s not a moment of The Glass Piano that wasn’t enjoyable nonetheless. The show was visually stunning, performed on an extravagant set in ornate costumes, and enhanced by ethereal sound cues. Then there was the cast, who wholeheartedly embraced their absurd circumstances and made even the more morally ambiguous characters seem sympathetic. I’ve also neglected to mention that both actors and dialogue were often hilarious, though top honors may have to go to Irene Adjan for Galastina’s maniacal final scene. Catch it yourself until this March 1st!
PS: The real Alexandra of Bavaria never married, but she did, oddly enough, go on to become an accomplished writer. Now that’s an ending I would’ve liked to see!
Ilana Jael earned her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Sarah Lawrence College and a BA in Writing and Psychology from Florida Atlantic University’s Wilkes Honors College. She also served as co-founder of the student theatre troupe “Theatre in the Raw.” She has been dabbling in both playwriting and acting since high school. A few favorite roles include Rebel in Columbinus (Bob Carter’s Actor’s Rep), The Fearful One in The Cave (G-Star School of The Arts), and Amanda in The Glass Menagerie (Theatre In The Raw). Her one-act plays Goodbye, Karma’s A Bitch, Certainly Not About Him, and Open Heart have also been previously performed at Actor’s Rep and/or at Florida Atlantic University. More recently, Ilana appeared in and created the original musical ZeeZou’s Stardust Extravaganza with Area Stage’s Miami Queer Theatre Collective. Her short plays have been produced virtually by New City Players, Theatre Lab, and Femuscripts. She is also a current company member of New City Players, and you can check out her theatre blog at ilanaintheatreland.com!
