Événement

Our Town by Thornton Wilder - presented by Art Center Theater

Our Town looks at three days in the life of several locals in a small town that is not unlike Gualala.

This American classic is often remembered as a sweet reminiscence of life in villages in the early 1900s. Not true. Wilder peers into Grover's Corners in order to find lessons about life in a world that contains both virtue and vice. He does not deny the fact that the town suffers from social injustice and hypocrisy, and he does not intend to sentimentalize or idealize Grover's Corners. This very real context gives his lesson about the preciousness of each moment so much more impact.

Wilder staged this play with no sets, only ladders, doorways, chairs and stools. This production will extend his innovations even further, intentionally blurring the boundary between audience and actor. Also, the role of Stage manager no longer needs to be owned by a man, it will go to the best actor of either gender who auditions for it.

The director says about this production, "I don't want to recreate a Hallmark card about the quaint old days. I want this play to teach all of us some valuable lessons about our lives, and our community. Prepare to be surprised."