BWW Interviews: Oliver Dennis talks 'Our Town'

Soulpepper's beloved version of Thornton Wilder's masterpiece Our Town returns to remind us to make the most of life's every blessing. Wilder's gentle, humorous and poetic theatrical meditation takes us to the community of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, where the simplest acts can leave the greatest impressions.

This production won a 2006 Dora Award for Outstanding Production, and is back at The Young Centre delighting audiences. It is directed by Joseph Ziegler and features Douglas John Alan, Diana Bentley, Derek Boyes, Kevin Bundy, Owen Cumming, Oliver Dennis, John Jarvis, Jeff Lillico, Toby Malone, Diego Matamoros, Dominique Matamoros, Nancy Palk, Krystin Pellerin, Brenda Robins, Albert Schultz, Michael Simpson, Jane Spidell, Charles Vandervaart & William Webster.

Today we are speaking with Oliver Dennis about the reception the show has had so far, and about how a show like this can stand the test of time:

Congratulations on Our Town! How has the show been received thus far?

Thank you. It really is a privilege to play. The run is going very well.

This production features a bigger cast than some of the latest Soulpepper shows, are you enjoying getting to work as part of a larger ensemble?

All of the shows I'm in this year have large casts. It's one of the benefits of the rep system. Our Town and The Time of Your Life are very big which is one of the reasons you don't see them done professionally very often. Of course, the social aspect of a big show is awfully fun, but also, large cast shows tend to be much broader in scope with great sweeping stories and it's great to get a chance to tell those stories.

Our Town has a great history with Soulpepper, first done in 1999 at the Royal Alex and was the first show that was performed at the Young Centre. Do you think audiences will be as receptive to it this time around?

Of course. There are lots of plays to choose from in the season so I guess it is possible that people who have seen it before may take a pass on it this time. But, I've also talked to people who have come to see it again because it's such a great play and show.

What is different about this particular production?

The show keeps getting better and better. Some of us have lived with these characters through 4 productions and so the understanding of the play and of the parts we play can't help but get deeper and deeper. I sometimes feel like I'm living the part of Doc Gibbs while I'm onstage and the closer we as actors can come to that state the more true the experience is for the audience. Acting, at its best, is living a life on stage and the more often an actor gets to do that the closer he/she comes to telling the story perfectly.

This show explores the little mundane moments that make up every day life, and examines how they can be truly special in their own right. Do you have an example in your own life of something that would be seen as ordinary and mundane that you view as extraordinary?

At the end of the play Emily asks the Stage Manager if "any humans ever realize life while they're living it, every every minute" and the Stage Manager replies, "No. The saints and poets, maybe they do some." I'm not a saint or a poet and while I strive to live life's little moments, I'm not really sure it's possible. I certainly don't view anything I do as extra ordinary. Let's see. I do like to swim, bike and run and have gotten several people into running and getting healthier.

It's said that Thornton Wilder wrote Our Town because he was largely frustrated and dissatisfied with the state of theatre in his day. Do you think it's important to continue to revive pieces like this to remind people of these great works from our past? Or do you think they simply become "dated"?

There is no fear that this play will become dated. It has too much to say about the human condition. When we hear the play we think about our own lives, I think we're supposed to think of this place as Our Town, too. The great plays, the ones worth reviving and which will be revived over and over are the ones that have something to say about us, now. We revive them not to remind people of the great works from our past but to delve into ourselves.

Our Town is often described as simple, and people speak of the simplicity of the show when writing about it. However it has endured for many decades and is a very popular piece of work. As an actor, how do you embrace the simplicity while also ensuring an outstanding theatrical experience that will keep people coming back?

I'm not sure I agree that the play is simple. I think it asks a lot of the audience as they listen and watch. Ideas come fast and furious and one wants to ponder them but then you're off to the next big thought. I saw a version of Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth last week and wished I could watch it 3, 4, a dozen more times to catch what he was saying. Neither is it easy for the actors. Miming horses and cooking and newspapers and people can really twist your brain around. But also, to really understand what Wilder meant in the words of the characters takes a lot of questioning and I couldn't think of a better director for the play than Joe Ziegler.

As an example, I have a line to Mrs. Gibbs, "I tell you, Julia, there's nothing so terrifying in the world as a son. The relation of father and son is the darndest... awkwardest..." That line passes in 3 or 4 seconds but I still cogitate on that line every night. And I hope the audience catches what I'm pitching because I think it's true but for different reasons for every father.

Finally, what would you say to a younger audience who are not familiar with Wilder's work or Our Town to encourage them to come and see the show?

$5 Student rush seats. Cheaper than a movie! My 15 year old daughter comes to see a show 3, 4, 5 times and brings a friend and it's still cheaper than a movie!

When and Where?
Our Town
Young Centre for the Performing Arts

Tickets range from $31.65 to &67.81 and can be purchased by phone at 416-866-8666 or online at www.soulpepper.ca

For details on performance times and the rest of Soulpepper's 2011-2012 season please visit the official website here