“Our Town” – Written by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Courtney O’Connor; Scenic Design by Shelley Barish; Costume Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through October 19.
By Michele Markarian
I first saw “Our Town” on television as a teenager, and I have to say, it freaked me out. As a young person, I didn’t understand the piece for its depth; I thought that it was about death. With some perspective, it is very much a play about life, a point that the superb production at the Lyric Stage subtly brings home.
Narrated by the Stage Manager (Will McGarrahan), Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play takes place in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. The Stage Manager introduces us to many of the town’s residents, principally Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs (Robert Najarian and Thomika Marie Bridwell), their children George (Dan Garcia) and Rebecca (Kathy St. George), and Mr. and Mrs. Webb (De’Lon Grant and Amanda Collins) and their daughter Emily (Josephine Moshiri Elwood). The focus of the first two acts is the day-to-day activities of the town – the birth of twins, choir practice, student government elections – and the romance between George and Emily, culminating in their wedding, an occasion made both lovely and cynical based on remarks from the townspeople – “I’ve married over two hundred couples in my day. Do I believe in it? I don’t know. Once in a thousand times it’s interesting”, muses the Stage Manager, while Mrs. Gibbs insists that “People are meant to go through life two by two.” (Wilder was a lifelong bachelor).
Act Three is set in the town’s cemetery, where the dead sit coolly and stare at newcomers as they arrive. From their remove, they have a deeper understanding of what it means to be human, something humans on earth lack – the ability to fully appreciate life and connection in each of their fleeting moments. It’s a profound message to live and love in the moment.
Watching “Our Town” is a throwback to a simpler, smarter, kinder time, when people cared for one another, as well as for achieving excellence. “Mama, will you answer me a question serious?” asks Emily. “Seriously”, says Mrs. Webb. The kids are reading Cicero and giving speeches on the Louisiana Purchase. There’s a beautiful scene where Emily can’t go to sleep because the moon is so bright and lovely, she can’t stop staring at it. No laptop, no iPhone – just Emily staring longingly at the moon.
O’Connor has assembled a fine cast that she directs with languorous precision. McGarrahan is a relaxed Stage Manager, balancing the right tone of sincerity and detachment. As the young lovers, Garcia and Moshiri Elwood are sweet and sympathetic. De’Lon Grant brings a kindly gravitas to Mr. Webb, editor of the town’s newspaper. St. George displays excellent range in a variety of characters, moving from young Rebecca to Mrs. Soames to a dead woman in the cemetery convincingly. Shelley Barish’s simple set design, made of wooden benches and pieces that fit into each other, is as warm and unassuming as the town and its people.
“That’s all human beings are! Just blind people”, says Emily, with new awareness at the end of the play. Seeing this wonderful production will open your eyes.
For more information and tickets, go to: https://www.lyricstage.com/
