Why should Westfield Theatre do this very popular, and sometimes overly done, dramatic American play? Well, there are many answers to that question. I guess the main reason should be that many people in this current generation of high school youth have never heard of it. Now, you could ask the older generations of parents and grandparents, and they will tell you that they know this show, very well — as it was first written and produced on the New York stage in 1938. In fact, they probably acted in it at some point in their life — just ask them. In a sense, there is a part for everyone in this show, as it is true reflection of community and character types. Another reason why we (Westfield Theatre) must do this show is because it is our obligation to add it to our repertoire of successfully produced plays. We are still a young school, only in our 6th year of development. For that reason alone, it was our time to visit this classic drama, so that you too can say you were once a part of the Our Town experience.
The beauty of this show is found in its simplicity. The stage is open, the props are minimal, and the message, though simple, is strong in reason. Playwright Thornton Wilder asks us to take the time to really appreciate the little things in this life — like clocks ticking, the smile on our mother's face, and the waking smell of a good breakfast being cooked in the morning. These are just a few of the things we may take for granted in our daily routine. Perhaps it isn't until Emily's heartfelt monologue at the end of Act 3 that we truly get the point. That point being, "you've got to love life to have life, and you got to have life to love life", as "one of those Middle West poets once said." Wilder himself played the role of the Stage Manager, in the early productions of the play. I am choosing to use two Stage Managers in this show, one male and one female. I am interested in presenting two sides to this character — one softer, and one a little harsher. I feel that by splitting this between the opposing genders, we can see the story of the town in different tones and expressions. They are the macrocosm to the many couples in this play, man with woman, two by two. The implied philosophy of Taoism plays here, as seen in the yin and the yang. Our greatest couple of study is that of George and Emily. They represent youth and innocence and all that is pure about the American spirit. We should really want them to be together, as we journey with them through their youthful courtship, their nervous wedding, and the mournful and un-timely death of Emily.
Music will be a big part of this show, including some hymns from the time period, and some songs whose words and music are timeless. At the opening and closing of the play, I will show a video of small town life, set in a sepia tone. We will see images of rolling pastures, barns and fences, and the tombstones within a church cemetery. We will also see some of the characters from the play, in their early years. This is intended to help the audience get into the spirit and aura of the time period, setting, and people in the story. Another technical element to the show will be the stage itself. Wilder expects the actors and the audience to use their imagination in truly seeing the town. Given that, the stage will be mostly bare, but set on a rake. The actual stage will be stained wooden planks, built on an incline across the entire width of the playing area. This is to give us a new vantage point, in taking a look at the foundation of the story from the ground up. The costumes will be traditional to the time period, helping us to see the turn of the century fashion in New England. Perhaps this will be the closest we get to spectacle, "for those that feel they need to have that." However, great attention will be given to the lighting in this show. As somewhat of a memory play, the lighting will be subdued and dim, with backlighting to suggest the rising and setting of the sun. Props will be minimal, as suggested by the playwright, though the two wooden ladders must be a part of the famous window scene between our young lovers. In addition, we will see actual chairs, one for every character/actor. In fact, each actor will help find their own (time period appropriate) chair, as part of the research and discovery of their character. Other practical props will be replaced with sound effects, timed perfectly and made live by actors in the ensemble. As we envision the milkman's horse and wagon, we will hear the bell around the animal's neck, and the clatter of the bottles as they are being delivered. As the newsboy delivers the morning paper, the sound of it will be heard hitting the front porches, though only seen in our mind's eye. This is classic to the telling of this story.
And finally, perhaps the most important element to how this play is presented, is found in the acting style. It will be modern realism, with a hint of suggested existentialism seen in the end. The actors must approach these characters from a very real and honest place, or the convention of the story is lost. The fourth wall will be broken, starting with narrations by the Stage Manager, and carried on by many of the other characters sharing their inner thoughts, directly to the audience. However, they stay true to who they are, while accepting they are just characters in a play. By the play’s end, we will forget that, and be caught in the catharsis of the "lie that makes us realize truth." Many will just be playing aspects of themselves, in a sense showing our town — a family inspired community in and of itself. This becomes the double entendre within the play's message. We are showing the very classic story that was put in a time capsule for all to study and appreciate. We then, are doing our part to celebrate that American history. Soon enough, our version of the play will also be buried in the vestiges and archives of Westfield history. Through the pictures we take, we will document yet another production of Our Town — produced by Westfield Theatre — for future generations to see who we were "in our living and in our dying" — from an artistic point of view, of course.