Our Town
Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?
Growing up,
there were a lot of plays I loved reading. “A Doll’s House,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and “Doubt” come to mind - but none touched how many times I read “Our Town.” Something in the idyllic countryside setting, the exploration of life’s little moments, the emphasis on time and the lack of it - and of course, practicing Emily’s iconic monologues.
Like many people, I had the good fortune of performing in a community theatre production of “Our Town” when I was in the 7th grade, playing George’s younger sister, Rebecca.
It was my first time performing with “real actors” (adult volunteers) and auditioning with multiple people to play my brother (I was somehow cast first - it was an ego trip I’ve never quite gotten over). Delivering the “envelope” monologue up on that ladder is still one of my fondest acting memories.
When I heard one of my favorite directors working on Broadway right now - Kenny Leon - was bringing the show back to the city, I knew I’d be front and center to revisit my “childhood home” of Grover’s Corners.
The revival is certainly star-studded, making the tickets out of reach for many (around $90 for back-row balcony). But thanks to my new friend Dominic, a freshman theatre student here in the city that I was connected with via the Theatr app, I was able to snag his spare $44 lottery ticket for third row balcony seats. Plus I had a lovely time accompanying him for his first-ever play on Broadway (joyous!!).
Under the glowing lanterns and over a (limited edition, October only) vintage Playbill, Dominic and I chatted until the lights dimmed and our Stage Manager Jim Parsons began introducing the cast.
Remembering Gavin Creel: This week, Broadway lost one of its most talented leading men - Gavin Creel, who passed after a brief but aggressive cancer battle. Creel was best known for his work in shows like “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Hair,” and “She Loves Me,” as well as more recent shows like “Hello Dolly” and City Center’s “Into the Woods.” He was also a well-known supporter of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.
While conversations are ongoing about whether Broadway’s lights should be fully or only partially dimmed in his honor, I encourage you to sign this petition, requesting that the Broadway League pay their full respects for his extensive - and yet too short - career.
Finally, you can watch the performance that Gavin was most proud of - his 2009 turn in “Hair.” It was moving then, and even more so now. He will be so missed, by me and a generation full of theatre kids he inspired.
The Plot
“Our Town” is a play in three acts: the first, establishing the town and inhabitants of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire; the second, on love and marriage; and the third, on life and death. We are led through this story by an omniscient stage manager (played here to great effect by Jim Parsons, of “The Big Bang Theory,”) and following two young lovers, George (Ephraim Sykes) and Emily (Zoey Deutch) throughout their lives.
The Highs
Thornton Wilder’s writing simply does not miss. Written in 1938, it exudes such a universal energy, and still speaks as loudly and clearly as it did then. I think in another hundred years, it will still hold. That’s the sign of a true masterpiece!
Leon’s direction here is nice - this show can be a little “slow” in some of the setup, but he makes it feel fresh and dynamic with the use of multiple entrance/exit points, lots of fun staging and encouraging humor in the delivery of the material.
I also liked the casting of this show’s ensemble very much. The production took great pains to offer better representation across the board, in a show that is historically played mostly white (as it’s set in New Hampshire of 1901, it’s clear why this happens so often). However, here, Leon and team have created an “Our Town for Our Time,” which was described in the Playbill interview as “not the towns we actually come from or have experienced, but the town that we want it to be.” With an indigenous Professor Willard to discuss the town’s history and population, a Howie Newsome who signs many of his lines in ASL (and perhaps steals the show from the ensemble perspective!), and a Gibbs family played exclusively by Black actors, it added a layer of reality that helped speak to the universality of the text, even if it may not have been that way historically.
Lovely to see Billy Eugene Jones here, which was a surprise for me - he did great work in “Fat Ham,” and “Purlie Victorious,” and I’ve really enjoyed following his career since I’ve been in the city. His Doc Gibbs brought a sense of humor to the role that I haven’t seen before. Well done, again.
Jim Parsons delivers a lovely, natural performance as a Stage Manager who keeps things moving at a good clip. I’ve seen too many actors wade into the melodrama of this part - Parsons makes sure everything is all business (and is often very funny in the process).
I loved the lighting design on this one. Dozens of lanterns beginning overhead, before leading to the gravestones “up the hill.” They’re doing double duty as the souls drifting into heaven, as well as the stars glinting overhead. Really beautiful stuff.
The Lows
So MAYBE I am being overly picky, but Emily is also one of the most famous female roles in all of the American Theatre Canon - and I’m sorry, but Zoey Deutch gave us ~nothing~. To be honest, it felt like she was going through the motions of the script, but never connected. Her chemistry with Sykes was nonexistent (no fault of his - he was doing his darnedest!). And the problem is, if you don’t care about Emily, you don’t care about the heart of the play. You can cry at the poignancy of the situation (I did), but you should be crushed that sweet Emily and George are separated. I didn’t get that. Really, my question is - who will give me super dork, head in the clouds, extroverted-until-she’s-with-boys, honest-to-a-fault Emily?? Do I have to do everything around here myself, people?! I simply don’t think a Netflix actress doing her first role on Broadway should’ve been the first pick here. Is this all revenge because they made her do this show in that awful wig (oop)…?
Personally, I miss the ladders. It’s an iconic part of “Our Town!” Switching them out for windows is simply not the same.
The needle drops in this show were very odd, and sort of sounded like royalty-free music to me. I think maybe we should’ve paid for some real songs if we’re going to include them, folks.
In general, I found the costuming a bit weird as they tried to straddle the designs of both 1901 and 2024. I understand they were trying to create a sense of timelessness, but instead, I was just left confused with the direction. I wish we had simply chosen one or the other.
The Takeaway
Even after nearly 100 years, the message of this play still stands: life, and all its little moments, are worth cherishing - before it’s too late. Although not all the performances and choices landed for me, I think this text should be required reading and viewing by all, especially under Leon’s direction.
So yes, I’d say take a trip to Grover’s Corners, if you can. “It’s a nice town - y’know what I mean?”
