Once we lifted Our Town from its pages and laid it out on the rehearsal floor, the world became so much clearer. Thornton Wilder jumped out of the script and has been standing with us in the rehearsal room since. The Stage Manager serves as his voice, adding artistry to the appearance of the town, pulling scenery from our imaginations, and encouraging us to develop intimate relationships with the town’s inhabitants. 

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As with any rehearsal process, bringing Our Town to life has given so much more meaning to the words of the play. Theatre is meant to be experienced. Experiencing Our Town makes one appreciate it so much more. As much of the visual is offered to the audience verbally, it is an experience unlike many contemporary plays. Thornton Wilder is incredibly specific in his depiction of the town that we can only see in our mind’s eye. The way he describes its beauty becomes so clear that one almost forgets there are very few props on stage and extremely minimal scenery. That giant butternut tree in the center of the stage? Of course it’s there. Why wouldn’t it be?

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The introduction of the old New Hampshire dialect has been especially revelatory. With its arrival, a whole new world has appeared to everyone involved. The actors have quickly moved away from being members of a production at Loyola University Chicago and fallen into their identities as townspeople of Grover’s Corners. With the dialect, the comedy rings through the lines, which make far more sense now, and the authenticity of each scene is more palpable. The delivery stays true to Thornton Wilder’s initial intentions. The dialect is heavily influenced by that of Boston, but is slowed down to accentuate the rural, small feeling of the town. It has given more life to everyone.

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Staging Our Town in the round has absolutely been fun, but undeniably challenging. Without a rehearsal space that accurately portrays the physicality of the actual set, we’ve been dealing with guess work and hoping for luck. On several occasions I have paced around the circle taped in the room (which represents the stage’s parameters), praying I will be able to see at least one actor’s face from every position. I am often disappointed. But we always make the shift, find the better angle, make it work no matter what. In doing so I find that we have developed a deeper understanding of the space and consequently the world of the play. Grover’s Corners makes sense in our little circle. It has blossomed and evolved to represent a cycle which both changes and always remains the same.

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Getting the third act staged has been the most important transformation in this process for me. I believe the third act is the true heart of the play. It is vulnerable and gorgeous and invites one to think about the fragility of life, the natural human failure to truly notice and understand the gravity of the moments we experience while we experience them. Surrounded by the dead, Emily relives a happiness she will never see again, surrounded by her family members, who looks right through her. It is heartbreaking and important, and I believe it will resonate with audiences.