Our Town

The last piece of theater I saw was a production of Our Town at at the Barrow Street Theatre. I knew nothing at all about the play before seeing it, and I'd say it left quite an interesting, positive impression on me. Though I felt that the story itself was somewhat old hat, the production was unlike anything I had expected.

Our Town is a story about life and its strange trajectory, specifically within the small community of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. The story was told by the "stage manager" who set the scenes, interacted directly with the audience, and introduced the three parts of the play plus all characters within it. The set was very stripped down, being just tables and chairs save for the final scene, which featured a more traditional house view.

The three parts of the play followed three stages in the life the townspeople, and more specifically a boy and girl who are fated to get married and live together until the girl dies after childbirth. The story, while somewhat cliché in its full circle portrayal of human life, was carried by very strong acting, close interaction with the audience, and some sharp dialogue. All in all, it seemed to me to be a case of style over substance. However, I felt that its stylistic merits were such that I would recommend it overall.