There was a time when Thornton Wilder's Our Town was as prevalent on stages as any Neil Simon piece is today. It was among a group of classic scripts old (Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus, Julius Caesar) and recent (A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman) that were taught in high school grade English classes for decades. The glut of community and high school theatres that (badly) produced it resulted in a backlash that left the piece little produced during the past decade. Shakespeare Sedona's Jared Sakren has wisely decided to give this classic script a chance to speak to a new generation. Mr. Sakren's prescience is impressive, as Joanne Woodward's Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut has just finished a revival of the play with an all-star cast lead by Paul Newman as the Stage Manager, and the Roundabout Theatre in New York City is seriously considering placing it on their schedule next fall. The pendulum is swinging back, and I, for one, am glad this is happening, as it is a script that I have always appreciated. For it's reintroduction to Arizona, Mr. Sakren's production is a successful one.
Wilder's play explores the transience of life by offering theatrical snapshots of a turn-of-the-twentieth-century New Hampshire town named Grover's Corners. In this microcosmic community, the Gibbs and Webb families exist side-by-side while the community and the years swirl around them. George Gibbs and Emily Webb grow up, fall in love, marry, bear children and perish in a dance of Americana while the omniscient Stage Manager deepens the themes with salient commentary and shrewd observations. The whimsical play's final act is heartbreaking with its supernatural setting and deadpan dialogue delivery.
Because of its insistence on theatricality, utilizing minimal settings and props with an intricate sound design, the most important elements of the production tend to be pacing and presentation. Mr. Sakren has given the production lightning quick pacing that ignores the laconic qualities of the region. Dialogue is speedily delivered until the all-important final scene. This takes away some of the regional and period feel of the piece, especially when Sandy Elias' Stage Manager rushes through some of his grander speeches. Despite this, the overall intelligence and depth of the piece remains, and that's more important than anything else. It's obvious that this cast has done their homework, aware of their various relationships with those around them and the town in general. There are wonderful subtle hints at social strata and personal loves and enmities.
While he initially struggled with the demands of a flat New Hampshire accent, Mr. Elias' Stage Manager is a prince of winking graciousness. His chipper attitude and broad smile counterbalance the sly themes he espouses. The central characters of Emily and George are excellently handled by Bree Elrod and Sam Lofberg. Ms. Elrod is a wonderful mix of shy insecurity and blossoming femininity. Her engaging Emily explores the many levels in which the show exists. Mr. Lofberg is more straightforward in his jaunty presentation, but he is unafraid to open up to the powerful grief that envelopes his character by the end of the piece.
Theresa Hawkins and Maren Maclean are excellent as the matrons of the families. Ms. Hawkins is sweet and playful until the final act, when her performance expands as her character becomes contemplative. Ms. Maclean has eschewed the New Hampshire accent for a textually strained hint o' the Irish, though this odd choice is balanced by her excellent mime work, and by a particular moment when, not the focus of the scene, she subtly mourns the imminent loss of her daughter to marriage without ever stealing focus, a spectacular feat. Gene Ganssle and Bruce Laks are excellent as the heads of the families. Mr. Ganssle plays Dr. Gibb's bone-weary optimism expressively. One of the greatest moments of the play is when Mr. Laks is forced to share a breakfast with his future son-in-law; his fidgeting and awkwardness is absolutely hilarious, and seeing this man of many opinions struggle with advice is a seminal moment. The remainder of the ensemble is excellent, highlighted by professional performances by young actors Chana Reynolds and brothers Dillon and Daniel Zrike.
Mr. Sakren's bare bones set design is balanced by David Temby's intricate and successful sound design. Slightly less successful is Claude Pensis' lighting, which seemed to have some problems on the opening night. Lois K. Myers costumes work well in supplying a period feel.
This co-production with Southwest Shakespeare Company will be seen in the valley this fall, though several of the cast members will change. If Mr. Lofberg, Ms. Hawkins and especially Ms. Elrod will not be making the move to Mesa, then I suggest that a quick trip to the cooler climes of Sedona may be in order this weekend.
Production Details:
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
Shakespeare Sedona
The Sedona Red Rock High School Auditorium
(800) 780-ARTS
July 19th - 28th, 2002