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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews "Our Town" is a Grand Place to Be
A fellow reviewer told me I should see Walden Theatre, calling efforts in its previous production "as strong as in any other local production you are likely to witness this season" [My So-Called So-Called Life, reviewed by Keith Waits]. What better opportunity, I thought, than with its latest offering of Our Town, a Pulitzer-Prize winning play whose precise staging requirements and complex notions of life and death might pose major challenges for young actors. Theatre fans who may have dismissed Walden as "student theatre" sight unseen, think again. Since its premiere in 1938, Thornton Wilder's Our Town has become an American theatre classic. Set in tiny Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, at the turn of the 20th century, the play explores universal themes through brief glimpses into the ordinary lives of the town's residents. It allows for no sets or props beyond simple tables and chairs, ladders and a few small objects. Actors pop ends off of imaginary stringbeans. They eat invisible food from invisible dishes. To simulate gazing out second-story windows, they perch on ladders. And the play is interpreted, both as a play and as multiple slices of life, through the eyes of a character known only as the Stage Manager, an omniscient, timeless force that weaves in and out of the story like currents of air. This character helps us to perceive our own focus, our humor and our deep-rooted fears — a daunting task, to say the least. Nonetheless, Walden does an outstanding job. Beautifully acted and directed, this production sweeps its audience so completely into the micro- and macrocosm of Grover's Corners that we lose sight of anything unusual about the age of the cast, or indeed of anything beyond the room. Christephor Gilbert's costume design is meticulous and impressive, adding a powerful visual contrast to the bare stage and uniquely complementing each character's portrayal. There are many commendable performances, but special mention must go out to Andy Fleischer as Mr. Webb, the town's newspaper publisher, who seems to have stepped right out of the turn of the last century; to Maggie Rogers in the small but delightful role of Mrs. Soames, the loud and intrusive "everywoman" we all know so well; and especially to Jacob Lyle, whose wry and poignant persona as the Stage Manager stays with us long after we leave the theatre. Above all, praise should go to director Charlie Sexton for orchestrating such a finely tuned production, as well as for writing one of the most concise yet powerful Director's Notes ever to grace a printed program. One request, Walden: As there is ample seating space, move those narrow chairs farther apart. A glance around the theatre last night showed very few people able to fit within the chair's breadth, and forcing patrons to scrunch to avoid rubbing thighs with strangers is not the way to make new friends. Alternatively, people can scoot the chairs themselves. More importantly, though, I hope they'll let me do them the favor that my colleague did for me. See this outstanding production. Walden is indeed true theatre at its finest.
Our Town Feb. 12 - 21, 2009 Walden Theatre 502-589-0084 for tickets Posted Feb. 14, 2009
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