Deerfield Park District's Theater D presents Thornton Wilder's American classic, Our Town, March 28 - April 13 at Caruso Auditorium, 1801 Montgomery Road, Deerfield. Edward Albee, the three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright called Our Town, "The greatest American play ever written."
Long after winning the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Our Town remains one of the most enduring and most produced American plays of all time, reminding us to celebrate love, family, community, and the beauty in the ordinary. The three-act play gently asks the question, do human beings ever realize life while they live it? Our Town transports us to the fictional town of Grover's Corners in the early 20th century, a place of loves and losses, and where everyone's life in this tight-knit community is astonishingly similar to our own: milk is being delivered, breakfast is on the stove, gardens are tended, and the town gossips are sharing the news. The audience follows neighbors, George Gibbs (Chuck Quinn IV) and Emily Webb (Sarah Canon), who spark a childhood friendship that evolves into a romance and then marriage. The ensemble cast also features Geoff Isaac as The Stage Manager along with Chuck Quinn, Elise de Roulet, Christine Jones, Dick Salon, Robert McDonough, Aria Karpinos, Teagan Yokozawa, Francis Brady, Ryan Bond, Al Katz-Mariani, Amy Ticho, Lilu Weisberger, Art Bloch, Cole Nelson, Susie Mason, and Larry Mason.
Theater D's director, Dan Taube said: "Our Town is not a play about the good old days. This is a play about love, marriage, family, and death - the same things humans struggle with today. The play reminds us about our shared humanity and the importance of appreciating the life we have and the people with whom we share it. Our production goes back to Wilder's original intent of minimalist scenery to underscore the universality of the play's message and to inspire the imagination."
Julie Stevens, Our Town co-producer said: "This play is so relevant. It is telling us to wake up. In today's world we need to move away from our screens and appreciate The Miracles that are all around us; look at each other and connect. Time is marching on and it is all going to be over in a minute."
Performance dates and times: • Fridays (3/28, 4/4, 4/11) at 7:30pm • Saturdays (3/29, 4/5, 4/12) at 7:30pm • Sundays (3/30, 4/6, 4/13) at 2:00.
On March 30 remain for a Talkback session, facilitated by Dramaturg Dana Pepowski, where the cast and crew will discuss the themes and behind-the-scenes of this timeless production.
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