Context

In Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, Tom comes home late at night and begins explaining a magic trick to his sister Laura as he fumbles around outside for his door key. 

He's trying to cover up the fact that he was out drinking, but it appears he actually was at a magic show of sorts because he gives Laura a colorful scarf as a souvenir. 

As for the quote, Tom's favorite trick was when the magician was able to free himself from a closed coffin without opening it or breaking it at all. 

Of course, it's also a metaphor. This is Tom's way of looking at his own situation: he wants to leave his family and his job behind, but he knows that, unlike the magician, he'll make a mess of things if he tries to escape.

Not that he hasn't already with the whole "Jim being engaged" thing.

Where you've heard it

This one isn't super quotable, so you probably just remember it from the play.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Until there's a zombie/talent show hybrid, it's going to be difficult to work this one into normal conversation.