Review: Rollins' OUR TOWN is Perfect Blend of Classic Theatrical Magic

One of the most magical places that I have ever been is Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. It's not a fancy place, just a simple town in which people go about their business, but are always willing to stop and chat about the weather. Grover's Corners is the epitome of a way of life that has long since ceased to exist, if it ever actually did in the first place. However, despite its quantness and surface simplicity, every time I go back to visit, I find more and more depth in the town than I ever remembered being there before. Perhaps this is a simple byproduct of my own aging, but each time I stop by Grover's Corners, I fall more and more in love with this mythical, magical town.

Of course, Grover's Corners is not a real place. It is the fictional town at the center of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning 1938 play OUR TOWN. Over eight-and-a-half decades after it first came to the stage, this show is still one of the country's most produced plays. From Broadway to high schools to TV to film, OUR TOWN is a staple in our theatrical culture. However, in all of my trips to Grover's Corners, I have never been as moved, surprised, or transported as I was by the Rollins College production running through November 22nd at the historic Annie Russell Theatre. Many of Orlando's professional theatre companies would do themselves a great service to head over to Winter Park to take in the incredible artistry and performances of the Rollins cast and crew.

The play, done in three acts with two 10-minute intermissions, discusses life, love, and loss in a small town in the early decades of the last century. Guiding us on the journey is a character known only as "The Stage Manager;" in this remarkable production the role is played by Peg O'Keef, a 1981 Rollins graduate. The Stage Manager, a role which has been played by the likes of Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, Frank Sinatra, Spalding Gray, Helen Hunt, Hal Holbrook, Michael McKean, and countless others, is a narrator removed from the events presented, but also intimately woven into each and every moment of the show. O'Keef masterfully uses the age difference between her and her castmates as a subtle metaphor for the fact that she is looking back on the play's past events with the knowledge and wisdom of hindsight. O'Keef herself is worth the price of admission in this role.

The fact that director Thomas Ouellette chose to cast a non-student in the role was one of the first signs that this production was not going to be the standard collegiate OUR TOWN. O'Keef and student Sarah Clark, who is credited as the "Assistant Stage Manager" were seated playing cards on stage when I entered the theater; not as Grover's Corners residents, but as two members of the crew passing the time before the curtain metaphorically went up.

That "curtain" rose when Clark dutifully removed the ghost light and took her place in one of the stage's two alcoves, complete with a piano and countless traditional sound effect instruments. While this production is not done as a radio play, the theatrical magic that Clark's effects add (including her spot-on clucking sounds) create yet another level of wonder in a show that is designed to be done simply. Wilder's OUR TOWN script specifies that the set be as simple as possible, forcing the audience to use its imagination to fill in the scenic gaps.

The majority of OUR TOWN is focused on two families, the Webbs and the Gibbses, who live next door to one another, and specifically on their eldest children; Emily Webb (played by Caisey Cole) and George Gibbs (Ryan Roberson).

Like the show's nostalgic look at the simple, American way of life in the early 20th Century, the characters in OUR TOWN are written to be played romantically; not in terms of their falling in love, although that does happen, but with a naiveté and over-the-top innocence appropriate for a dream of days gone by; especially in the show's more light-hearted first two acts. Without exception, the cast maintains that whimsical tone throughout.

At its heart, OUR TOWN was one of the first plays to impart that now cliché wisdom that "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." However, the emotional and creative sincerity that Wilder's script, and Ouellette's production, approach it with prevents the message from becoming trite. The honesty that comes from each actor, especially Cole, forces you to examine whether or not you are truly seeing all of the wonderful things in your life.

Cole and Roberson provide strong, authentic performances that naturally grow as the Stage Manager leads us through the years in Grover's Corners. Emily's parents Mr. and Mrs. Webb (played by Bernard Farquharson and Jamaica Reddick) and George's parents Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs (Ryan McCormick and Crysta Anne Marie) shepherd their children as they grow up, and each of the four actors delivers a unique and skillful performance. Marie's Mrs. Gibbs is especially poignant in light of information that the Stage Manager delivers early on.

OUR TOWN's story, much like life itself, is a mix of cheerful and tragic moments. However, the cast provides a number of additional comedic highlights; the town milkman Howie Newsome (played with aplomb by Nicholas D'Alessandro) is a joy as he struggles with his unseen horse Bessie (of course, voiced by Clark); George's younger sister Rebecca (the delightful Kathleen Capdesuner) is the precocious nuisance a younger sister should be; and Mrs. Soames, the town gossip, played by Katherine Waddell, threatens to steal every scene she is in.

The sound design by Robert Miller, costume design by Lisa Cody-Rapport, and the scenic design by student Molly Finnegan are all exceptional. Between the use of Clark's ingenious sound effects, period specific costumes, simple projections, and sparse, but effective set pieces, the heart of Wilder's minimalist vision is maintained and enriched throughout.

As should be clear, I greatly admire Ouellette's production. The artistic creativity that is evident at every turn has created one of (if not the) most enjoyable theatrical experience I have had in the year and a half that I have been in Orlando. However, there are a handful of decisions that I was disappointed by in the third act. Though the play premiered in the middle of FDR's tenure as president, I still felt that Ouellette's staging of the final scene undermined and telegraphed a revelation that could have carried quite the emotional impact. However, that minor quibble aside, Ouellette has crafted a stunning reimagining of this beloved classic. And he has cooked up quite a delicious surprise in the third act as well.

The Annie Russell Theatre is the perfect venue to see OUR TOWN. Built seven years before the play's debut, the theater's Romanesque architecture and thrust alcoves instantly transport you to a time other than of our own. As much as I appreciate many of Rollins' productions, I almost wish that nothing but OUR TOWN ever ran in this gorgeous space.

There are four more performances of OUR TOWN between tonight and Saturday at the Annie Russell Theatre on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park. If you love quality, touching theatre, this is a production that you can't afford to miss. You can purchase tickets on their website, or by calling 407-646-2253.

---

Did you visit Grover's Corners? Were you as taken by the theatrical magic as I was? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. Also make sure to follow BroadwayWorld Orlando on Facebook and Twitter using the links below.

---

Photo Credit:
1) Ryan Roberson and Caisey Cole: Tony Firriollo | Rollins College
2) Peg O'Keef: Tony Firriollo | Rollins College
3) Katherine Waddell, Caisey Cole, Peg O'Keef, Ryan Roberson, and Company: Scott Cook | Rollins College

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!