Analysis Of The Play Our Town By Thornton Wilder

On Wednesday, October 28, my class and I attended a play called “Our Town” written by Thornton Wilder. It was shown at the Northern Stage in White River Junction, VT. I think the main message of this play is that everything changes gradually. Throughout the play, we are reminded that nothing is permanent. At the beginning of each act, the stage manager reveals the subtle changes that take place over time. The population of Grover’s Corner grows. Cars become commonplace while horses are used less and less. The adolescent characters in Act One are married during Act Two. During Act Three, when Emily Webb is laid to rest, Thornton Wilder reminds us that our lives on Earth are temporary. The Stage Manager says that there is “something eternal,” and that something is related to human beings. However, even in death, the characters change as their spirits slowly let go of their memories and identities.

"Our Town" is a play written by Thornton Wilder. The play reflects characters who lived between 1901-1914. The content and format of the play are unique. The narrator is also a character in the play. "Our Town" is a fictional place, Grover’s Corner, modeled after a small town in New Hampshire. The play starts out in this town and ends in the town’s cemetery. People who have passed away tell their stories. They question what they

did while they were alive, and they often deal with regret and loss.
The play follows the lives of several members of the small town, especially the Webb and Gibbs families. In the Webb family, Emily Webb is played by Sutton Crawford, Mr. Webb is played by Jamie Horton and Mrs. Webb is played by Amanda Rafuse. In the Gibbs family, George Gibbs is played by Casey Predovic, Dr. Gibbs is played by Christian Kohn, and Mrs. Gibbs is played by Amy Tribbey. The play is divided into three acts: Daily Life, Love and Marriage, and Death. The first act is just that, daily life. The audience meets the characters, including Emily Webb and George Gibbs, who are young teenagers. They clearly like each other, but are shy about how they feel. Their parents and other characters provide a glimpse into how everyday life in this small town is.
Act two is Love and Marriage. It is the morning of George and Emily's wedding. A very nervous George has a slightly awkward and definitely funny conversation with Emily's father. After their talk, the narrator takes the audience back to the day Emily and George knew they were "meant for one another”. After this flashback, we find ourselves at the wedding, where both Emily and George express their fears about marriage to their parents. They are calmed, and they have a beautiful wedding.
Act three is death. The lights come up on the town cemetery, with several people sitting in chairs, which represent their graves. Among them are George's mother, Mrs. Gibbs, Emily's young brother, Wally, and several other familiar faces. After a monologue from the Stage Manager, the cemetery caretaker is tending to the new grave, and is met by a distant family member of the deceased, who is in town for the funeral. They discuss what happened, but never say a name. As the funeral procession comes up the aisle, the dead begin to talk. Mrs. Gibbs reveals that it is Emily who has died, in childbirth. The funeral arrives at the grave, and Emily takes her seat with the dead. After the funeral party leaves, Emily speaks to the dead. She expresses a desire to go back to her life on earth, and she is told she can. However, the dead tell her that it is a very bad idea, and that "it's not what she thinks it will be." Emily, however, chooses to go back to her 12th birthday. Basically, things don't go very well. Because she already knows what's going to happen in life, she feels that everything is moving much too fast. She wants a moment to treasure her mother and father, but they are all too focused on everything else they're trying to get done. She then returns to her grave, but first says goodbye to everything and everyone on earth that she loves. When she returns to the cemetery, she feels like life has been pointless. George comes to visit Emily's grave, and Emily finally joins the dead, understanding the shortcomings of the living.
The plot of the play is the poignant tone and aching regret that the characters address, so the question is how do people resolve regret? How do people let go of anger? How do people wish they had loved more, listened more carefully.
While watching the play, I found the acting to be very realistic but I also found it to be quite modernized. When reading the play, I visioned the characters to be dressed more old fashioned. The play is performed without a set and the actors mime their actions without the use of props, which I found interesting yet a little distracting. I liked it though because Wilder's sets, or lack of, allows the audience to use their imagination, and not focus so much on scenery that they miss the message .The characters played their roles well and I think they did a great job throughout the play. I felt very involved, especially with the wedding scene where everyone was dancing around and clapping along to the song. I and many others felt very much a part of the play. I never had a hard time hearing the actors, I think they portrayed themselves well and they were loud and clear when speaking.
The costumes were not what I imagined when reading the book. Since the play had been modernized, the costumes were too. They weren’t wearing the kind of clothes they wore back in the 1900’s nor did they look at all like they were living during that time period. During the play, they also showed a powerpoint which I saw to be pretty irrelevant since technology wasn’t really that advanced at the time. They also used modern songs throughout the play which didn’t really tie in with the time period, but the audience was familiar with them so they were able to hum along. I think throughout the play, they gave off a positive vibe and made the audience feel welcomed, which I liked.
In just three acts, Wilder journeys through the cycle of life, from the birth of a new life, all way up to the inevitable.

Throughout the play, the audience experiences the great milestones in life that they can relate to, such as new life, first love, long lasting love and the effect of death. I would recommend seeing it because “Our Town” is an exceptional play. With this play, Thornton Wilder tries to get us, not to live life in a blur, but to stop and smell the roses. Anyone can appreciate the contents and themes in this play, no matter what age, race, or gender. It is ideal for easy reading and will leave you with a newfound respect for

life.