Portman previously appeared on Broadway in the 1997 revival of The Diary of Anne Frank, which she headlined as the title character. In the summer of 2001, she was part of the star-studded mounting of The Seagull in Central Park. She is best known for her film work. Portman became one of Hollywood's “It” girls after receiving critical acclaim for her film debut in 1994's The Professional. She has subsequently appeared on the big screen in Heat, Developing, Beautiful Girls, Everyone Says I Love You, Mars Attacks!, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Anywhere But Here, Where the Heart Is, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Cold Mountain, Garden State which has only been seen at the Sundance Film Festival and True which has only been released in Germany. Her upcoming movies include the film version of Patrick Marber's stage play Closer and Star Wars: Episode III.
The Glass Menagerie tells the story of a St. Louis family struggling to cope with the harsh realities of the Great Depression and the bitter memories that haunt them. Revealed in flashback, the play follows the lives of shoe factory worker Tom Leonard, torn between his role as the family breadwinner and the desire to lead a life of his own, his abrasive mother Amanda Lange, once a Southern socialite, now trying to maintain her dignity amidst the gloom of the tenement, and Tom's frail sister Laura the role Portman would play, who has retreated to an imaginary world caring for her collection of glass animals. As tensions mount and tempers flare, the prospect of a husband for Laura becomes their final chance for stability and escape. But the arrival of this gentleman caller Hawke could also deal a powerful blow that shatters their tenuous dreams.
his revival of The Glass Menagerie will reportedly play at the Music Box Theatre next winter.
