Our Town
Reviewed by Dana Martin
South Coast Repertory
Through June 4th
It may seem like nothing much happens in Thornton Wilder’s most important work, Our Town. It is a play, after all, about ordinary people living ordinary lives. But the 1938 Pulitzer Prize winner is quietly deep and profoundly moving. Edward Albee once described Wilder’s play as “the greatest American play ever written.” South Coast Repertory’s incarnation of the timeless classic, directed by Beth Lopes, is endearing and heartfelt, though uneven.
Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, turn of the 20th century is an idyllic small town where residents don’t need to lock their doors and nothing much seems to happen. The first act, entitled Daily Life, is the span of a rather ordinary day, where ordinary citizens bring the town of to life. Among them are two families and next-door neighbors: the Webb family and the Gibbs family. The play narrows focus on a budding romance between the eldest child of each respective family: George Gibbs and Emily Webb, portrayed first as young teenagers anxious to glimpse each other through their bedroom windows in the moonlight. The second act brings Love and Marriage. The third act, Death and Eternity.
The play’s pace is deceptively slow, its ultimate message paradoxical: Life is fleeting, and the most important moments happen within the mundane, everyday task of living. Yet, it’s the small, overlooked moments that are so powerful, especially when observed retrospectively.
Wilder uses overtly theatrical conventions to tell the story. The play uses minimal props and set pieces: table, chairs, an arbor and a few benches create side-by-side homes (to cramped effect in this production). The actors mime most of the play’s business with widely varying success. The Stage Manager (Hal Landon Jr.) often speaks directly to the audience, setting the scene and igniting the senses. Landon Jr. delivers his lines in a genial manner but does little to clearly imagine the scene himself — therefore, it isn’t very clear to the audience.
Despite its deliberately slow pace, the performers rarely let the play settle; most of the time it feels rushed. Some of the actors adopt a phony style of voice and delivery as if to suggest that we’re in another era. It isn’t necessary; the costumes and the language tell that story. Grace Morrison finds a refreshingly sullen, sassy teenager in Emily Webb. She finds a nice arc in the third act as her character revisits her own life. Evan Lugo finds a stiff, awkward yet incredibly earnest George Gibbs. There is little connection or chemistry between Morrison and Lugo. Kwanza Martinez’ Mrs. Gibbs is endearingly anxious. Elyse Mirto finds a frank and matter-of-fact Mrs. Webb. In a standout performance Brad Culver plays Simon Simson, the alcoholic Choir Director, with humanity and compassion. His commitment to the character’s immediate circumstances transcends time and place.
Director Beth Lopes directs an endearing production with a lot of heart. However, some of the imaginative and openly theatrical moments aren’t fully realized. Lopes establishes the use of foley as a theatrical effect right away but the convention loses steam a few scenes in. The staging feels cluttered at times and split scenes compete for focus.
Set design by Efren Delgadillo feels strangely cramped, despite the minimal set. The playing space is reduced significantly for an 11th hour theatrical effect, sacrificing valuable playing space. Costume designer Katie Wilson nails the era and ties the design elements together. Karyn Lawrence’s lighting design is restrained. John Nobori’s sound design straddles the line between live sound and pre-recorded, never fully committing to either.
There is something subtly and undeniably magical about Thornton Wilder’s enduring legacy and Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece. Our Town delivers a profound message of love and the preciousness of life. Do we ever truly realize life as we live it? Wilder answers the question by encompassing life’s sweetest and most powerful moments within its everyday monotony. It’s so basic, yet so profound.
South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; Wed.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sat., 2:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.; (714) 708-5555 or scr.org. Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with two 10 minute intermissions.
