Spotlight on... Sally Field

Two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field is currently making her long-awaited return to the Broadway stage, taking on the challenging role of Amanda Wingfield in perhaps Tennessee Williams' most iconic play The Glass Menagerie at the Belasco Theatre. Her history with Broadway has been brief with just one other credit to her résumé. She previously took over the role of Stevie from Mercedes Ruehl in the 2002 revival of Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? at the Golden Theatre from September 13 until the production's final performance on December 15, 2002. This makes her return to the theatre, over 14 years later, one of the most eagerly anticipated star turns of the season.

Although critics have questioned the directorial decisions of Sam Gold's new incarnation of Williams' 'memory play,' they are all unanimous in their praise of Ms. Field and her latest performance, calling it "tenacious," "intrepid," "wrenching" and "a masterful job." Indeed, I also found myself torn between empathy and exhaustion at her portrayal of the overbearing mother, exactly how an audience member should feel when confronted by Amanda Wingfield. Ms. Field delivers a finely balanced and nuanced performance, despite the character's unrelenting demeanour. Her interactions with co-stars Joe Mantello and Madison Ferris as her children Tom and Laura, are heart-wrenchingly raw and open the window wide into her soul, whilst she revels in her scenes as the embodiment of a faded Southern belle with Finn Wittrock as the "gentleman caller" Jim O'Connor.

Of course, Sally Field has been a household name since the 1960s thanks to her rocketing career in television with shows such as "Gidget" and "The Flying Nun." Her big break into film arguably came with her role as Carrie in the 1977 release of "Smokey and the Bandit" which in turn led to her taking the title role in 1979's "Norma Rae" and picking up her first Oscar in 1980. Fast forward five years and she is picking up her second Academy Award for "Places in the Heart" and giving that infamous and often imitated "You Like Me!" acceptance speech. What followed for Sally Field was a string of movies that have become beloved classics (and some cult classics in the mix too) from "Steel Magnolias" (1989) to "Soapdish" (1991), and, more recently, from "The Amazing Spider-Man" franchise to the acclaimed masterpiece "Lincoln," earning her a third Oscar nomination in 2013 for her astounding performance as Mary Todd Lincoln. Her Emmy Award-winning role of Nora Walker on "Brothers & Sisters" also kept her in the limelight and straight into our living rooms for five seasons from 2006 to 2011. But for myself, having spent my most impressionable years in the 1990's, she will always have a special place in my heart for her career-defining roles as Miranda Hillard in "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993) and, of course, as Mrs. Gump in the iconic "Forrest Gump" (1994).

Who knows when or if this Hollywood darling will grace the White Way again in the future? It was an honour to witness the lady behind Momma Gump, devoting herself entirely to bring Momma Wingfield alive on the stage in all her imperfections. May I encourage you to witness Ms. Field's performance for yourselves?

Click here for tickets to The Glass Menagerie for performances through to July 2, 2017 at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.