My take on: “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder

“Let’s really look at one another!…It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. I didn’t realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed… Wait! One more look. Good-bye , Good-bye world. Good-bye, Grover’s Corners….Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking….and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths….and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it–every,every minute? (Emily)”  – Thornton Wilder, Our Town

Hello!

I have written that I am in love with plays, broadway shows, musicals you name it because I love to watch humans act on stage. It is just so much more special for me than watching a movie. A couple of years ago I was fortunate to see “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder in this little tiny off-off broadway theater and it was hands down one of the best plays I have ever seen. Hello Waterworks throughout the play and definitely at the end all three times that I have seen it. It had such a deep impact on me that I of course purchased the book and re-read it once in a while just to feel happy. I have to say that I don’t usually re-read books? Do you? I have a couple of books that I love dearly and maybe read twice but that is it. “Our Town” is different. I just take it out of my bookshelf and browse through it occasionally. Today, I will describe what this magical play is all about and of course the creator behind it – Thornton Wilder. Read on.

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) was an American novelist and playwright. For “Our Town” he received the Pulitzer Prize – well deserved I think! He has won I believe three Pulitzer Prizes total. You can read more about him and his life here. I want to focus this article more on the play itself.

“Our Town” was first published and produced in 1938 and is a drama of life in a tiny village called Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire. My first impression was that everything was kept very simple. There was just no scenery. The book and the play are narrated by the ‘Stage Manager’ and he puts chairs and tables on the stage while you simply see an empty stage in a dim light. Instantly I thought this is awesome. Thornton focuses on so much more but scenery. The stage manager now explains where everything in this town is located. It is up to your imagination to “see” it or understand that a simple bench is the “Webb house”. I observed where the stage manager put all the chairs and benches and recognized this town. I saw how these people lived and I saw the houses. It was just so strange. The play’s focus is on life, love and death and that each life is special because everybody is unique and has their own little story.

I believe what Wilder tried to do was to make people appreciate the simple, small things in life again. Emily Webb and George Gibbs are the two main characters who guide you through the play. You learn about their childhood, marriage, their families and death. You see and understand through the play how fast time passes. You learn that it is very important to see the little and simple details in your life and to live in the moment. This is all that really matters anyway.  Looking closely, these simple details could mean a lot more than you think. You will get to know Thornton’s language in the dialogues  throughout the play which I thought was very beautiful.

Overall I can say that this book is amazing. Maybe try not to focus too much on the future and definitely not on the past. The past is gone and over and you will never get it back. I reflected on my life after reading the book and seeing the play and realized that while you are on this planet you might as well dance and enjoy a happy life! To live is just this wonderful thing!

Try and find out if this play is showing anywhere and go see it. It is so worth it! There is also a 1940s movie version of Our Town  that I watched and found that it was well done.

Thank you for reading my blog.