Mid-afternoon. You and Carol finished a late lunch at Smashburgers and you
are sitting in the Tylersville lot listening to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” on
80’s on 8 while Carol shops for veggies for a tray for Cathy and Tod’s
tomorrow. Paul has a replacement for the hospital for a few hours so he can
attend. You are happy because Aunt Patsy and Uncle Ernie have only met him a
couple of times. Several in attendance have never seen Brennan. You haven’t
seen Jeffery since last Christmas (or the year before) when he and Gretchen stopped
by Kim and Paul’s at University Heights. – Amorella
1503 hours. I have been thinking about the atmosphere presented in
Wilder’s “Our Town”. What a simple and wonderful and timeless play. Here's what Wikipedia Offline has to say.
** **
Our Town
is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character
story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as
depicted through their everyday lives. Using metatheatrical devices, Wilder
sets the play in a 1930s theater. He uses the actions of the Stage Manager to
create the town of Grover's Corners for the audience. Scenes from its history
between the years of 1901 and 1913 play out.
Wilder wrote the play while in his 30s. In June
1937, he lived in the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, one of
the many locations where he worked on the play. During a visit to Zurich in
September 1937, he drafted the entire third act in one day after a long evening
walk in the rain with a friend, author, Samuel Morris Steward.
Our Town was first performed at
McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey on January 22, 1938. It next opened
at the Wilbur Theater in Boston, Massachusetts on January 25, 1938. Its New
York City debut was on February 4, 1938 at Henry Miller’s Theatre, and later
moved to the Morosco Theatre. The play was produced and directed by Jed Harris.
Wilder received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1938 for the work.
In 1946, the Soviet Union prevented a
production of Our Town in the Russian sector of occupied Berlin "on
the grounds that the drama is too depressing and could inspire a German suicide
wave."
Background
The play is set in the fictional community of
Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, modeled upon several towns in the Mount
Monadnock region: Peterborough, Jaffrey, Dublin and others. The narrator gives
the coordinates of Grover's Corners as 42°40′ north latitude and 70°37′ west
longitude, which is in Massachusetts, about a thousand feet off the coast of
Rockport.
Our Town's narrator, the Stage
Manager, is completely aware of his relationship with the audience, leaving him
free to break the fourth wall and address them directly. According to the
script, the play is to be performed with little scenery, no set and minimal
props. Wilder was dissatisfied with the theatre of his time: "I felt that
something had gone wrong . . . I began to feel that the theatre was not only
inadequate, it was evasive." His answer was to have the characters mime
the objects with which they interact. Their surroundings are created only with
chairs, tables, and ladders. (e.g., The scene in which Emily helps George with
his evening homework, conversing through upstairs windows, is performed with
the two actors standing atop separate ladders to represent their neighboring
houses.) Says Wilder, "Our claim, our hope, our despair are in the mind –
not in things, not in 'scenery.'"
Main characters
•
Stage Manager
- a narrator, meta-commentator, and guide through Grovers Gorners. He joins in
the action of the play periodically, as the reverend at the wedding, the soda
shop owner, a local townswoman, etc, and speaks directly to Emily after her
death
•
•
Emily Webb
- arguably the main character; we follow her from a precocious young girl
through her wedding to George Gibbs and her early death
•
•
George Gibbs
- the boy next door, a typically vain and irresponsible teenager who matures
over time and becomes a responsible husband, father and farmer
•
•
Frank Gibbs,
George's father, the town doctor
•
•
Julia (Hersey) Gibbs,
George's mother. She dreams of going to Paris, but doesn't get there. Dies
later while visiting her daughter in Ohio. She saved $350 for the trip from the
sale of an antique furniture piece, but ultimately willed it to George and
Emily
•
•
Charles Webb,
Emily's father, editor of the Grovers Corners Sentinel
•
•
Myrtle Webb,
Emily's mother
•
Secondary characters
•
Joe
and Si Crowell, local paperboys. Joe's intelligence earns him a full
scholarship to MIT where he graduates at the top of his class. His promise will
be cut short on the fields of France during World War I, according to the Stage
Manager. Both he and his brother Si hold marriage in high disdain
•
•
Simon Stimson,
the choir director and church organist. We never learn the root cause of his
alcoholism and later suicide. He is still bitter and cynical beyond the grave
•
•
Howie Newsome,
the milkman, a fixture of Grovers Corners
•
•
Rebecca Gibbs,
George's younger sister. Later elopes with a traveling salesman and settles in
Ohio
•
•
Wally Webb,
Emily's younger brother. Dies of a burst appendix on a Boy Scout camping trip
•
•
Professor Willard,
a rather long-winded lecturer
•
•
Woman in Auditorium,
concerned with temperance
•
•
Man in Auditorium,
concerned with social justice
•
•
Another Woman in Auditorium,
concerned with culture and beauty
•
•
Mrs. Louella Soames,
a gossipy townswoman and member of the choir
•
•
Constable Bill Warren,
the policeman
•
•
Three Baseball Players who
mock George at the wedding
•
•
Joe Stoddard,
the undertaker
•
•
Sam Craig,
a nephew of Mrs Gibbs who left town to seek his fortune
•
•
Dead Man
•
•
Dead Woman
•
•
Mr. Carter
•
•
Farmer McCarthy
•
•
(Bessie, Howie Newsome's horse
(visible to the characters, but not the audience)
The Plot
The Stage Manager guides the play, taking
questions from the audience, describing the locations (as scenery is sparse)
and making key observations about the world the play creates.
Act I: Daily Life
The Stage Manager introduces the audience to
the small town of Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, and its residents as a
morning begins in 1901. Joe Crowell delivers the paper, Howie Newsome delivers
the milk, and the neighboring Webb and Gibbs households send their children off
to school. The Stage Manager brings out a long-winded professor to talk about
the history and pre-history of Grovers Corners, Editor Webb gives a few notes
on local political and religious affiliations and fields questions from the
audience about alcoholism, social injustice and culture. After school, George
and Emily exchange a few words, and Emily self-consciously asks her mother if she's
pretty. The Stage Manager mentions that a time capsule is being lain in the
cornerstone of a new bank in town, and noting the lack of information about the
common people of ancient cultures, he resolves that a copy of this play will be
placed inside. Moving to the evening, Emily whispers homework hints to George
through their open windows. On their way home from choir practice, Mrs Gibbs,
Mrs Webb and Mrs Soames discuss Simon Stimson, the choir director with a
reputation for being a drunkard. Doc Gibbs teaches George a lesson in
responsibility, and young Rebecca frets that the moon will strike the earth,
causing "a big 'splosion."
Act II: Love and Marriage
Three years pass and George and Emily prepare
to wed. The day is filled with stress. Howie Newsome is delivering milk in the
pouring rain while Si Crowell, younger brother of Joe, laments how George's
baseball talents will be squandered. George pays an awkward visit with his
soon-to-be in-laws. Here, the Stage Manager interrupts the scene and takes the audience
back a year, to the end of Emily and George's junior year. Over an ice cream
soda, Emily confronts George about his pride, and they discuss the future and
their love for each other. George resolves not to go to college, as he had
planned, but to work and eventually take over his uncle's farm. The wedding
follows where George, in a fit of nervousness, tells his mother that he is not
ready to marry. Emily, too, tells her father of her anxiety about marriage,
saying she wishes she were dead. However, they both regain their composure, and
George proceeds down the aisle to be wed by the preacher (played by the Stage
Manager). Mrs. Soames is very pleased with the whole affair, as she turns to
the audience and gushes.
Act III: Death and Eternity
The Stage Manager opens the act with a
lengthy monologue emphasizing eternity, and introduces us to the cemetery
outside of town and the characters who passed away in the nine years since Act
Two: Mrs Gibbs (pneumonia, while traveling), Wally Webb (burst appendix, while
camping), Mrs Soames, and Simon Stimson (suicide by hanging), among others. We
meet the undertaker, Joe Stoddard, and a young man Sam Craig who has returned
home for his cousin's funeral. We learn that his cousin is Emily, who died
giving birth to her and George's second child. The funeral ends and Emily
emerges to join the dead. The Mrs Gibbs tell her that they must wait and forget
the life that came before, but Emily refuses. Despite the warnings of Simon,
Mrs. Soames, and Mrs. Gibbs, Emily decides to return to Earth to re-live just
one day, her 12th birthday. She finally finds it too painful, and realizes just
how much life should be valued, "every, every minute." Poignantly,
she asks the Stage Manager whether anyone realizes life while they live it, and
is told, "No. The saints and poets, maybe--they do some." She then
returns to her grave, beside Mrs. Gibbs, watching impassively as George kneels
weeping at her graveside. The Stage Manager concludes the play, reflecting on
the probable lack of life beyond Earth, and wishes the audience a good night.
Awards
•
1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
•
1989 Drama Desk Award for
Outstanding Revival
•
1989 Tony Award for Best Revival
•
The
play has been adapted numerous times:
•
Our Town
on May 12, 1939, as the 23rd episode of The Campbell Playhouse. Narrated by
Orson Welles as the Stage Manager, with George Craven as George Gibbs, and
Patricia Newton as Emily Webb, et alia
•
•
”Our Town” (1940 film),
adaptation starring Martha Scott as Emily and William Holden as George Gibbs,
with a musical score by Aaron Copland. Many members of the original cast
repeated their roles in this film, although the ending was drastically changed
so that Emily lived [seen]
•
•
“Our Town” (1940 radio), on May 6, 1940, a radio version was
performed by many of the same film actors for Lux Radio Theater
•
•
“Our Town” (television) a live musical 1955 TV adaptation on Producers’ Showcase starring Frank
Sinatra as the Stage Manager, Paul Newman as George Gibbs, and Eva Marie Saint
as Emily. The first and only musical version of the play to be telecast (so
far)
•
•
“Our Town”, a 1977 television
adaptation of the play, starring Hal Holbrook as the Stage Manager, Robby
Benson as George Gibbs and Glynnis O’Connor as Emily Webb
[seen]
•
•
Grover's Corners,
a 1987 musical adaptation performed at the Marriott Theatre
•
•
“Our Town”, a 1989 telecast of a Lincoln Center stage
production starring Spalding Gray, Frances Conroy, Penelope Ann Miller, and
Eric Stoltz [seen]
•
•
“Our Town” (2003 film) a
made-for-TV adaptation of a 2002 Broadway revival starring Paul Newman, this
time as the Stage Manager
•
•
Our Town (opera), an operatic
version of the play with music by Ned Rorem
•
An award-winning revival of Our Town opened at the
Barrow Street Theatre on February 26, 2009. The production was directed by
David Cromer, who also performed the role of Stage Manager for much of the
show's run. Upon closing, the production had played four preview and 644
regular performances, making it the longest-running production of the play in
its history. In addition to Cromer, other notable actors who performed in the
role of Stage Manager included Helen Hunt, Michael McKean, Jason Butler Harner,
Stephen Kunken and Michael Shannon
Selected and edited from Wikipedia Offline – Our
Town
** **
1618
hours. It is fitting that I completed this at the central crossroads in Rose
Hill Cemetery. Carol is on page 15 of a relatively new book, The
Postmistress by Sarah Blake – stunning parallels to today is what one quick
review says. I might be interested in reading it myself.
You are home before another errand. You have
a deep, deep affection for “Our Town” no question about it. From in here the
article above even touches your soul, boy. Post. - Amorella
1635
hours. I have seen several productions listed above and another where Emily was
played by a young Sarah Jessica Parker. I used to show one version or another
in AP class if there was time – like before Thanksgiving Break.
You do
not though. You were angry when I brought it up a moment or two ago but have since
mellowed. You have your reasons but sometimes you need to see them right in
front of your face. Think of the Dead and how they might now better understand
what life was. I want you to see this better while you are alive. That’s what
the questions are about. Post. - Amorella
Some would say you were wasting the
students’ time showing films and/or plays in class, particularly in an AP
English class. – Amorella
1652 hours. I do not regret showing one or more films or plays in any of
my classes. I introduced them, we discussed them afterwards, and sometimes the
students had to write reviews or expository essays on them. They need to be
trained to read specifics and the need is also to see specifics in theatrical
works.
English class was basically taught as a
humanities class, is that what you are saying? – Amorella
No, it is not. The humanities were always in the margins of any class I
ever taught. This is how I attempted to catch a student’s heart and soul and
mind. Once such a door or window is opened a bit, you touch the student’s life.
Once touched there is a greater understanding of how life is and a personal
reflection may take place. This was my hope in all my classes even when I
taught a strictly grammar class. Why are you asking me these questions? You
know my response in advance.
2207 hours. I completed the (final) Brother 9 in
801 words.
Recheck it first, then add and post. –
Amorella
***
The Brothers 9 ©2013, rho, (final)
GMG.One
Richard sat in his
favorite black leather chair studying Robert’s pungently worded poem:
“Nature Junkie”
a
bumblebee --
the
big black one
with
yellow stripes
enters
the bright
white
flower
of
a hosta.
From
the front porch
my
chocolate Lab
mouths
a stinging memory.
I
see the bee
body
working inside.
I
suspect
other
creatures,
unseen,
see
a meal --
ants
waiting
its
fall to earth,
or
a lizard
immune
to venom.
if
it wanders to ground
in
the chicken yard,
the
hens will rush,
pop
the droning pill.
I
walk off the porch,
pinch
shut
the
flower petals
to
hear the panic of wings,
to
get the buzz
of
bee
up
the fingers,
hoping
it
will go to my head.
***
“Good
poem, Rob. Precise. I love the line, ‘to get the buzz of the bee up the fingers
hoping it will go to my head.’ Rob's poetry always has the feeling of a slight
twist of phrase. I wasn’t expecting ‘up the fingers,’ Who would have thought,
‘up the fingers’? I love it.”
“Thank
you. When it comes to poetry we usually agree.”
“Coney Island of the Mind, ‘Number Five’.”
“Ferlinghetti.
That is was a great poem and still is as far as I am concerned,” stated Robert.
“Real poetry, no traa-lee-laa crap.”
“I’m
still stuck there,” voiced Richard. “You moved on with the poets to modern
times, but my heart is with the Beats.”
Robert
added abruptly, “That’s when you stopped your style. There are other ways to
say things.”
“I
liked the Beats' bluntness.”
With
a sheepish grin Robert asked, “Then you won’t mind me asking you about your
automatic writing?”
“It’s
not really automatic, Rob. That is what some people call it. It is a part of my
writing process. I have to be in the right frame of mind to write the Merlyn
stories.”
“Is
that what you are calling the stories now?”
“It’s
a basic and natural frame of mind,” said Richard, “like my word trancephysics.
It is like writing while in a light trance. In fact, there is a word for it
that relates to autosuggestion.”
“Ideomotor
action. William James wrote about it,” grinned Robert.
Richard
reflected his brother, “You saw my dowsing rods over in the corner didn’t you?”
“I
saw them; unscientific re-bent clothes hangers, but I knew what they were. Were
you looking for water in the back yard?”
“I
was looking for unmarked graves in the cemetery. Dale gave them to me after
talking about them with a plumber who used them to find leaks in lines between
the house and street.”
“Dowsing
has been debunked, you know, water-witching and the like. Studies show that
finding water by dowsing is a fifty-fifty proposition.”
Richard
responded, “The rods do move though, I think it has to do with electro-magnetic
energy."
Ever
the medical doctor, Robert comment nonchalantly, “The divining rods work
because of unconscious suggestion to small muscles in the fingers that work
through subconscious response.”
“Well
then, when I am in form and in a semi-transcendental state while writing.
What’s wrong with that?”
Robert
deadpanned facially while saying, “Nothing as long as you aren’t going off the
deep end.”
“Anything
that exists whether we know and understand it or not is natural. My bet is that
is a quirky nerve impulse within one of my temporal lobes or another nerve
response from brain to the fingers. In either case it is biophysical.”
Robert
re-focused, “So why were you dowsing for unmarked graves?”
“It
was fun. I think it is interesting that the finer finger muscles can move by
involuntary suggestion alone. It makes you wonder on who pulls the trigger in
some murders. I think of Shakespeare’s character MacBeth and his killing of
Duncan. Lady MacBeth suggests it. His hands and fingers take up the action
whether he is fully conscious, that is, that he is in full realization of what
he is doing.” Richard paused, “the rest of the play shows another side of
MacBeth. When he fully realized he killed an innocent man and a guest in his
own house.”
“It
is just a play, Richie,” countered Robert, “and few would agree with your
assessment.”
“I
know, but still it is interesting that a simple dowsing rod can show we are not
fully consciously responsible for some muscular action. It doesn’t take much
consciousness to shove a knife into somebody, especially if you are a good
soldier to begin with.”
Clearly
concerned Robert emphatically replied, “I can assure you that it takes a great
deal of consciousness to push a sharp surgical blade into a living human body.”
He glanced down at Robert’s poem, “to get a buzz – hoping it will go to my
head,” gave him a quiet smile to get up and leave the room with.
***
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