I haven't been to a Broadway show in ages, but last night I finally got to go to see the new production of Thornton Wilder's classic Our Town, which famously portrays the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its ordinary residents. Noted for its unusual format in which the "Stage Manager" regularly addresses the audience and its typically bare stage with few props, Our Town (which was first performed at Princeton's McCarter Theater in 1938) was once described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written."
I first saw Our Town on TV in the1950s (back when high-quality theatrical productions - like Our Town and Amahl and the Night Visitors were frequent on TV. To me, the beauty of Our Town is its portrayal of ordinary life and inherently meaningful and significant. Although set in rural New Hampshire in the early 20th-century, this gives it a truly universal feel, which likely accounts for its continued appeal.
The new production on Broadway is very well done and faithful to the basic story. It does, however, take some liberties, presumably intended to modernize or make it more relevant. Thus, some of the characters (notably George) wear shorts, which I suspect would not have. happened in 1901. It is precisely the early 20th-century setting that highlights the ordinariness and universality of the story - not giving (some) characters a contemporary look, which (by definition) is not universal. I also felt the musical introduction at the beginning, with its strange medley of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim prayers, really adde nothing to the story and may even detract from it, although I remain open to being convinced otherwise.
Despite these few lapses into relevance, Our Town remains a powerful portrayal of the human condition in its most basic elements and experiences.
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