Our Town

Types: Full-Length Play

Genre: Drama

*** All Ages are Relative ***

Stage Manager The narrator, who also plays the roles of master of ceremonies, Mrs. Forrest, Mr. Morgan, and a minister. He guides Emily in her return to the living world.

Dr. Frank Gibbs The town’s doctor, who is returning from delivering the Goruslawski twins during the first act. He is the father of George and Rebecca Gibbs.

Mrs. Julia Hersey Gibbs Dr. Gibbs’ wife, who represents a typical housewife in the first two acts; in the final act, she is seen as a spirit.

George Gibbs Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs’ sixteen-year-old son, who discovers his love for Emily, marries her in the second act, and grieves for her loss in the third act.

Rebecca Gibbs Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs’ daughter, who is four years younger than George. She realizes that Grover’s Corners is part of New Hampshire, part of America, part of the world, the universe. This expanding image is central to Wilder’s theme.

Mr. Charles Webb The editor and publisher of the Sentinel, the town’s newspaper, and one of its most important citizens. He lives across from the Gibbs family.

Mrs. Myrtle Webb Charles Webb’s wife, who reveals her character through her conversation with Mrs. Gibbs; she represents the typical mother and housewife.

Emily Webb Gibbs The Webbs’ intelligent daughter, who grows up during the play, joins the two major families when she marries George Gibbs, and dies later during childbirth.

Wallace “Wally” Webb Emily’s younger brother and one of the spirits in the last act. In Act III, we discover that he died suddenly from a ruptured appendix while on a Boy Scout trip.

Simon Simson The organist of the Congregational Church who is the subject of town gossip because of his alcoholism. As a suicide who hangs himself in the attic, Simon’s memories of the past are negative.

Mrs. Louella Soames A local busybody who clucks over Simon’s alcoholism and idealizes George and Emily’s marriage. She is a spirit in the last act.

Howie Newsome The milkman who guides a seventeen-year-old horse named Bessie. Howie appears during Emily’s return to the past in the last act.

Joe Crowell, Jr. Joe is the paper boy in the first act and also during the flashback, when Emily returns to life. A scholar at Massachusetts Tech, he is killed in France during World War I before he can use his education.

Si Crowell Joe’s younger brother, who takes Joe’s job as paper boy in Act II to indicate the passage of time.

Samuel “Sam” Craig The son of Julia Gibbs’ sister Carey, he comes back from Buffalo after twelve years’ absence. He provides exposition in the last act.

Joe Stoddard The town undertaker, who provides background information in the third act.

Constable Bill Warren The town law enforcement officer, whose duties require him to be sure that doors are locked and that drain pipes are adequate. On February 7, 1899, he saves a man from freezing to death.

Professor Willard A faculty member of State University who recites facts about Grover’s Corners.

Stage Manager– Jeremy Niemi
Dr. Gibbs– Shenn Sellers
Jo Crowell– Arianna Jimenez
Howie Newsome– Drake Rodgers
Mrs. Gibbs– Lisa Farnsworth Howard
Mrs. Webb– Lisa Fulton
George Gibbs– Cristian Peter
Rebecca Gibbs– Brielle Sellers
Wally Webb– Clark Ryan
Emily Webb– Markelle Duggan
Professor Willard– Gary Tallaksen
Mr. Webb– Tim Wheeler
Simone Stimson– Wendy Carroll
Mrs. Soames– Tracy Steichen
Constable Warren– Stanley Kennedy
Si Crowell– Clark Ryan
Sam Craig/Baseball Player– Drake Rodgers
Ensemble (to play women in the audience, choir, etc)– Lorelle Berry, Cherie Gero

Director– Beverly Crain
Stage Manager– Lauren Jimenez
Set Design:  Kristopher James
Technical Lead – Drake Rodgers
Lighting Design:  Josh Somers
Lightint Tech:  Bobby White
Sound:  Scarlett Benitez

Let me express my thanks to a most wonderful cast and production crew.  The cast has worked hard to present this beautiful story, and I can’t thank them enough for their dedication to this work.  I also thank Christopher Ourth and Betty Neal for their creative vision and work on this show.  And my deepest appreciation goes to Lauren Jimenez, our skilled stage manager, who moved us through this whole process bodly and unswervingly.

Much of Our Town was written in 1936, while Thornton Wilder, was residing in Petersborough, NH.  The origianl title was Our Village, until he changed it a year later.  From a first perusal of the play, one might see it as a simple story of early American family life.  Playwright Paula Vogel states that in every Wilder play, he (Wilder) is like the observer, “…as if we see the invisible witnessing of the playwrights’s voice.”  Mr. Wilder presents us with specifics that lead to more universal truths.  He enoucrage us to pay attention to our journey, all the time revealing our hunanity.  In his novel, The Bride of San Luis Rey, he writes, “Even memory is not necessary for love.  There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.”

You will probably recognize familiar situation and emotions in this story, as I have.  Let’s appreciatre our lives and the people near us, as we make our own daily journeys of love.