“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?”
Our Town by Thornton Wilder – October 5, 2008
THEATRE TIME PRODUCTIONS, Whitestone, NY
By: Malini Singh Mcdonald
Our Town tells the story of quintessential life in small town America, Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire to be exact. Written in three acts: Daily Life; Love and Marriage; and Death, Wilder eliminates set and props, instead having the actors mime their actions. The focus is on the human experience through daily life. The Stage Manager narrates the habits and activities of ordinary people, focusing on the lives of George Gibb and Emily Webb. Ultimately, the play is about the cycle of life, starting with the birth of twins, and ending with the death of Emily Webb. As the lights come up, the Stage Manager (Armand Catenaro) sets the stage to represent the homes of the Gibb and Webb families. He proceeds to tell us about the town of Grover’s Corners: geographically; topographically; historically; and anthropologically, with the help of Professor Willard (Al Carbuto) and culturally with the help of Mr. Webb (Jim Thomas), publisher and editor of the local newspaper. Throughout the play, he continues to act as an omniscient narrator, breaking the fourth wall many times. Catenaro displayed an ability to portray intense passion, however there were instances when his momentum was stilted causing a disconnection with the audience.
Judy Rosemarin (Mrs. Gibbs) and Sharon Levine (Mrs. Webb) set the stage by
creating a picture of their homes through pantomime. Each of their activities are precise - from cooking and setting the table to tending their gardens. They also set the tone of the piece. Both actresses clearly convey their wishes and intentions. Thomas J. Kane gives a poignant portrayal of Doc Gibbs, the town doctor. As town doctor, he is the only living character is this play that truly understands the concept of ephemeral life. In his passive-aggressive manner, Kane’s simplicity was extremely enjoyable. Jim Thomas’ (Mr. Webb) comedic timing is a pleasure to observe especially when he interacts with his future son-in-law, George Webb, on the morning of the wedding. Robert Ciriello (George Gibbs) and Lenna Parisyan (Emily Webb) are playing two roles that every young actor has on their “Roles I Must Play Before I Get Too Old” list. Not only can they cross it off, they can rest assured that they can add these characters
on their “Roles I Am So Proud to Play” list. The naivete, growth of emotion and
realization of what life is really about was so well portrayed that I finally understood this play. A play that I have read three times throughout my own life, but never really got the point of…until Saturday night. Kevin Vincent’s direction of this piece was a breath of fresh air. The relationships between these people in a small town were clearly deliniated. He followed through with
Wilder’s intention of telling a story without the pomp and circumstance. His creative use of the space available to him, creating five playing levels, brought dimension to a play that calls for a very simple set. I also loved the use of images projected onto a white backdrop, and wished that this particular convention was used more in the show. The lighting design was also creative. Unfortunately, though, it did not translate from design to application as well as the set design had. The choice to use actual darkness as opposed to the suggestion of night through color, albeit bold, made it impossible to actually see the play. I felt the lack of visibility of some of the actors distracting at times
especially during the nighttime sequences. That was a shame, because I so enjoyed the use of green lighting in Act III, symbolizing the grass of the graveyard. As I mentioned, I read Our Town three different times, in three different classes. I always felt disconnected from it because I am from Manhattan and Grover’s Corners is nothing like the city in which I grew up. This time, however, (and I attribute this both to the passage of time and the accumulation of wisdom) I have realized that Our Town is not about a physical town. It is about how we, as humans do not realize the value of life, how we do not take a moment to appreciate being here, in the now, and most importantly, how we do not live life to the fullest. Theatre Time’s production has brought
these lessons into sharp relief.
First Presbyterian Church of Whitestone
15-43 149th street
718-391-8697 for info & reservations
Showdates:
Friday Oct 10 8pm
Sat Oct 11 3:30 pm - $15 tickets for meet and greet reception
Sat Oct 11 8:30pm
Sun Oct 12 5pm
Regular show prices $15/$13
ALL SEATS RESERVED....SEATING IS LIMITED
