Our Town at HCT

Last night was my first time seeing Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town (you would think that someone with a literature degree and a love of theatre would have seen it by now) and it was also my first time seeing a production on the new Beehive Stage at HCT. I loved both the performance and the venue!  A Stage Manager (Michael Hohl) often breaks the fourth wall to introduce the audience to Grover's Corners, New Hampshire during the early years of the 20th century and the narrative unfolds on a minimal stage without props.  Act 1 includes the every day activities of the inhabitants: Joe Crowell (Samuel Karlinsey) delivers the newspaper, Howie Newsome (Austin Zimmerman) delivers the milk, Dr. Gibbs (Sanford Porter) returns home from delivering twins, Mr. Webb (Ben Parkes) observes the goings-on in the town as editor of the newspaper, Mrs. Gibbs (Cecily Ellis-Bills) and Mrs. Webb (Becca Ingram) make breakfast and get their children, George and Rebecca Gibbs (Timothy Quesenberry and Tessa Jensen, respectively) and Emily and Wally Webb (Mariah Grace Bowman and Wyatt Bills, respectively), ready for school, Simon Stimson (Jared Stewart) struggles to control his alcoholism, and Mrs. Luella Soames (Jayne Luke) gossips with the women of the town. Act 2, which takes place three years later, includes the courtship and marriage of George Gibbs and Emily Webb against the backdrop of these same every day activities (Joe's younger brother Si now delivers the newspapers). Act 3, which takes place nine years later, includes the funeral of Emily Gibbs, who died in childbirth, during which she observes the living before joining the dead of Grover's Corners.  This is very slow, deliberate, and episodic and I have to admit that I found it a bit frustrating until the reason for this restraint was revealed in Act 3. Emily ultimately realizes that life is fleeting and that the mundane activities we often take for granted are what make life beautiful and meaningful. This is an incredibly powerful and poignant message and I had tears in my eyes by the end of the act. I think the use of metatheatrical devices, such as having the Stage Manager give the characters direction as well as break the fourth wall, is absolutely brilliant because it blurs the line between fiction and reality and lets the audience observe what is happening from a distance much like Emily does after her death.  I also loved the minimal stage with just the hint of various locations, particularly the chalk drawings on the LED screen, because this emphasizes that Grover's Corners could be any town (the more intimate Beehive Stage is the perfect venue for this play). Finally, I found the performances to be very moving, particularly when Hohl speaks about eternity and when Quesenbery and Bowman finally reveal their feelings for each other, but also quite funny, especially when Parkes tries to give advice to his future son-in-law. I am so happy that I finally had the opportunity to see this groundbreaking play and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the new Miller Family Beehive Stage through Oct. 19.

Note:  I cannot recommend Harmony enough!  It is also playing at HCT on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through August 1 (go here for tickets).