Our Town Study Guide

SEASON SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSORS

PAY-WHAT-YOU-WILL SPONSOR

SCENIC DESIGNER

Jason Ardizzone-West

WIG DESIGNER

Bobbie Zlotnik

PRESENTS

WRITTEN BY Thornton Wilder

DIRECTED BY Robert Hupp

COSTUME DESIGNER

Tracy Dorman

INTIMACY COORDINATOR

Melissa Crespo

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Stuart Plymesser*

Robert Hupp

Artistic Director

Jill A. Anderson

Managing Director

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Yael Lubetzky

CHORAL MUSIC COACH

Rebecca Karpoff

CASTING

Bass/Valle Casting

Melissa Crespo

Associate Artistic Director

Our Town © 1938, 1957 The Wilder Family LLC

Copyright agent: Alan Brodie Representation Ltd www.alanbrodie.com

COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER

Michael Keck

MOVEMENT COACH

Danyon Davis

Kyle Bass

Resident Playwright

This program is made possible by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the City of Syracuse Arts & Culture Recovery Fund Program, a regrant program of the City of Syracuse administered by CNY Arts.

March 29 - April 16, 2023

TableofContents

DearEducators,

Thebestwayoflearningislearningwhileyou’rehavingfun.Theatreprovidestheopportunityforus toconnectthroughperformanceandstories,allowsustofindourselvesinotherpeople’slivesand growbeyondourownboundaries.Weareevermoreexcitedtosharethesenewtheatricalpieceswith yourstudentsastheyshapeanddefineus.Givingstudentstheopportunitytowatchstoriescometo life,aswellasthepowertocreatetheirown,ispartofourlastingimpactontheworld.Comingtosee aperformanceasapartofalargercommunitybringsustogetherasone.LivetheatreisSyracuse Stage'sconnectiontotheworldandeachother.Weinviteyouandyourstudentstoengagewiththe storieswetellasastartingpointforyouandthemtocreatetheirown.

Sincerely,

JoannYarrow,KateLaissle,andTheorriLondon CommunityEngagement&EducationTeam

2022/2023EducationalOutreachSponsors

SyracuseStageiscommittedtoprovidingstudentswithrichtheatreexperiencesthatexploreandexamine whatitistobehuman.Researchshowsthatchildrenwhoparticipateinorareexposedtotheartsshow higheracademicachievement,strongerselfesteem,andimprovedabilitytoplanandworktowardafuture goal.

ManystudentsinourcommunityhavetheirfirsttasteoflivetheatrethroughSyracuseStage’soutreach programs.Lastseasonmorethan21,000studentsfromacrossNewYorkattendedorparticipatedintheBank ofAmericaChildren’sTour,theYoungPlaywrightsFestival,Backstory,YoungAdultCouncil,and/orour StudentMatineeProgram.

SyracuseStage5

MeettheDirector

RobertHupp isinhisseventhseasonasartisticdirectorof SyracuseStage.Herecentlydirected ThePlayThatGoes

Wrong, EurekaDay, Annapurna, Talley’sFolly, Amadeus, NoisesOff, NexttoNormal,and TheThreeMusketeers for Stage.PriortocomingtocentralNewYork,Robertspent seventeenseasonsastheproducingartisticdirectorof ArkansasRepertoryTheatreinLittleRock.Hedirectedover 30productionsforArkansasReprangingfrom Hamlet to Les Miserables to TheGrapesofWrath.InNewYorkCity,Robert directedtheAmericanpremieresofGlynMaxwell’s The Lifeblood and Wolfpit forthePhoenixTheatreEnsemble.He alsoservedfornineseasonsastheartisticdirectoroftheObie Award-winningJeanCocteauRepertory.AttheCocteau, Robert’sdirectingcreditsincludeworksbyBuchner,Wilder, Cocteau,Shaw,WedekindandthepremieresoftheBentley/ MilhaudversionofBrecht’s MotherCourage and HerChildren, SeamusHeaney’s TheCureatTroy,andEduardodeFilippo’s NapoliMillionaria.Hehasheldfacultypositionsat Pennsylvania’sDickinsonCollegeand,inArkansas,atthe UniversityofArkansasatLittleRockandHendrixCollege. RobertservedasvicepresidentoftheBoardofDirectorsof theTheatreCommunicationsGroupandhasservedon fundingpanelsfortheNewYorkStateCouncilontheArts, NationalEndowmentfortheArts,theTheatreCommunications Group,theNewJerseyStateCounciloftheArts,andtheNew YorkCityDepartmentofCulturalAffairs.WhileinArkansas, RobertwasnamedbothNon-ProfitExecutiveoftheYearby theArkansasBusinessPublishingGroup,andIndividualArtist oftheYearbytheArkansasArtsCouncil.HeandhiswifeClea rideherdoverablendedfamilyoffivechildren,onedog,and twocats.

ThorntonNivenWilder(1897-1975)

BorninMadison,Wisconsin,andeducatedatOberlin,Yale(B.A.1920)andPrinceton(M.A.1925),ThorntonWilder wasanaccomplishednovelistandplaywrightwhoseworks,exploringtheconnectionbetweenthecommonplace andthecosmicdimensionsofhumanexperience,continuetobereadandproducedaroundtheworld.Wilderisthe onlywritertowinPulitzerPrizesforbothfictionanddrama—forhisnovel TheBridgeofSanLuisRey (1927)and twoplays, OurTown (1938)and TheSkinofOurTeeth (1942).Hisothernovelsinclude TheCabala, TheWomanof Andros, Heaven’sMyDestination, TheIdesofMarch, TheEighthDay and TheophilusNorth.Hisothermajor dramasinclude TheMatchmaker (adaptedasthemusical Hello,Dolly!)and TheAlcestiad. TheHappyJourneyto TrentonandCamden, TheLongChristmasDinner and PullmanCarHiawatha areamonghiscelebratedshorter plays.Wilderalsoenjoyedsuccessasanessayist,translator,researchscholar,teacher,lecturer,actor,librettistand screenwriter.HisscreenplayforAlfredHitchcock’s ShadowofaDoubt (1943)remainsaclassicpsycho-thrillerto thisday. Wilder'smanyhonorsincludetheGoldMedalforFictionfromtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters, thePresidentialMedalofFreedom,theNationalBookCommittee'sMedalforLiterature,TheOrderofMerit(Peru), andtheGoethe-Plakette(Germany).In1930,withroyaltiesreceivedfrom TheBridgeofSanLuisRey,Wilderbuilt ahomeforhimselfandhisfamilyinHamden,CT.Althoughoftenawayfromitforasmanyas250daysayear, restlesslyseekingquietplacesinwhichtowrite,ThorntonWilderalwaysreturnedto “TheHouseTheBridgeBuilt.” HediedhereonDecember7th,1975.

MoreinformationonThorntonWilderandhisfamilyisavailableinPenelopeNiven’sdefinitivebiography,Thornton Wilder:ALife (2013)aswellasontheWilderFamilywebsite, www.thorntonwilder.com (Biofromwww.thortonwilder.com,Allimagesfromcommons.wikimedia.org)

Pre-ShowDiscussionQuestions

Whatisyourtown?Wholivesthere?Whatistheretodoforfun?Doyoulikeyourtown?

Ifyoucouldreliveonedayofyourlife,whatdaywoulditbeandwhy?

Haveyouheardoftheplay OurTown? Whatdoyouknowaboutit?

PostShowDiscussionQuestions

OurTown isoneofThorntonWilder’smostfamousplays.Whydoyouthinkthisplayhascontinuedtobeproduced overthelastseveraldecades?Whataboutthisplaycontinuestoresonatewithaudiencestoday?

Whatwasyourfavoritemomentintheplay?

Weretheactorsbelievable?Whatperformersweremostsuccessfulintheirroles?Whatmadethemsuccessful?

Didthereseemtobeaunifyingideabehindtheproduction?Whatisthatidea?Howwasitconveyedtoyouthrough theproduction?

Whatwasyouropinionoftheset?Howdiditcontributetotheperformance?

Whatwasyouropinionofthecostumes?Whatinformationdidthecostumestellyouabouttheplayand characters? Howdidthelightingaffectthemoodoftheperformance?

Didthisplayhaveanyobservationsaboutpeople,society,relationships,oranythingelse?

Wouldyourecommendsomeoneelsetoseethisplay?Whyorwhynot?

Synopsis

WrittenbyCommunityEngagement&EducationInternAdaWennstrom

OurTown byThorntonWilderisathree-actplaythatshowsthecycleoflifebyfollowingtwocharactersinasmall town–GeorgeGibbsandEmilyWebb–throughchildhood,marriage,anddeath.Theplayutilizesmeta-storytelling, meaningcertaincharactersandmomentsinthestoryareawarethattheyareinastory.Theplayissetinatheater, anditisnarratedbyacharactercalledtheStageManager,whospeaksdirectlytotheaudienceaswellasthe characters.TheStageManageralsooccasionallystopstheplayorinterjectswithinformationthattheother charactersdonotknow.Intheseways,theplayemphasizesandacknowledgesthatitisaplay.

Thefirstactshowcasesthetownanditscitizensin1901.Itisarelativelyquainttown.Theaudiencemeetsamilk deliveryperson,apaperdeliveryperson,achurchchoirdirector,andtheGibbsandWebbfamilies.Emilyand George,ashighschoolstudentsandneighbors,beginafriendshipoverschoolwork.

Threeyearspassbetweenthefirstandthesecondact,andEmilyandGeorgepreparetogetmarried.Georgevisits hisfuturein-laws,butthestoryisinterruptedbytheStageManager,whobringstheaudiencebackintimeayear.In thisflashback,EmilyandGeorgehaveaconversationabouttheirinsecurities,growingup,andtheirfuture. Eventually,theyendupconfessingtheirloveforeachother.Theflashbackends,andbothEmilyandGeorge experiencecoldfeetbeforethewedding,worriedaboutnotbeingreadytogrowup.However,theybothcalmdown andhappilywed.

Inthefinalact,nineyearslater,thesettingshifts,andpartofthestagebecomesoccupiedbyacemetery.Everyone whohasdiedinthelastfewyearsisthere,includingMrs.GibbsandEmily'syoungerbrother.Twocharactersare introduced:ayoungmannamedSamCraigtellstheundertaker,JoeStoddard,thatheisintownforhiscousin's funeral.ThecousinturnsouttobeEmily,whodiedinchildbirthwithherandGeorge'ssecondchild.Emilyjoinsthe deadinthecemetery,andtheotherdeadpeopleurgehertoforgetherpastlife.Despitetheirwarnings,Emily choosestoreliveonedayinherlife:hertwelfthbirthday.Herexperienceis,atfirst,joyful,butthememorybecomes toomuchwhenEmilyrealizeshowlittlepeopletreasuretheirlives.Shereturnstothecemeteryandwatches impassivelyasGeorgeweepsathergrave.

OurTown HistoryandAcclaim

WrittenbyCommunityEngagement&EducationInternErinKeith

ThorntonWilderwasfirstinspiredtowrite OurTown in1920whilehewasastudentattheAmericanAcademyin Rome.Whilestudyinghistoricalartifactsandpaintings,hebecameinterestedinthemeetingofthepastandthe present.Infindinguniversalconnectionsbetweenthetwo,Wilderhadfoundhisfoundationforwriting OurTown.He wentontodraftthescriptattheMacDowellColonyinNewHampshireandoutsideZurich,Switzerland.

Thefirstperformanceof OurTown occurredonJanuary22,1938,attheMcCarterTheaterinPrinceton,NewJersey beforetheproductionmovedtotheWilburTheaterinBoston.Duetomixedreviewsandlowticketsales,theshow wasclosedafterfiveperformances.NewYork,however,hadheardofthepowerofthepiece.Whenitopenedon BroadwayonFebruary4,1938,atHenryMiller’sTheatre,itreceivedverypositivereviewsincludingfromwellknowncriticBrooksAtkinson.Thishelpedskyrocket OurTown tosuccessand,eventually,itwasunanimously recommendedforthePulitzerPrizeinDrama.ThiswasWilder’ssecondPulitzerPrize,havingpreviouslywonthe prizeforfiction.Tothisday,heistheonlyauthortohavewonthePulitzerPrizeforbothfictionanddrama.The originalBroadwayproductionclosedaftermorethan330performances,buttheplay’slifewouldnotendthere.The yearafteropening, OurTown waslicensedforamateurproductions,andinundertwoyears,therewere performancesinover650communitiesacrosstheUnitedStatesandCanada.Itisnowoneofthemostperformed playsinhistory.Overthecountlessnumberofproductionstodate,manycelebritieshavetakenpartintheplay includingFrankSinatra,HenryFonda,andThorntonWilderhimselftakingontheroleoftheStageManager.

OurTownHistoricalContext

Thesettingofthe OurTown

Thesettingof OurTown isroughlyfrom1901-1913,whichisrightinthemiddleoftheProgressiveEraintheUnited States(1890s-1920s).Thiswasatimeofgreatsocialchangeandpoliticalreform.Peoplewerestartingtoseesome ofthedownfallsofindustrializationandwantedtousethefederalgovernmenttomakeprofoundchangesthatcould improvethelivesofindividualsandsociety.Newideasabouthumannatureemerged,andpeoplestartedtobelieve thathumannatureisnotfixedandcouldbeimprovedbyimposingrestrictionsandofferingrewardsforacceptable behavior.Progressivessoughttoexposeandendcorruption,unethicalbusinesspracticesandimproveprotections forworkersandconsumers.

SeveralimportantlawsandamendmentstotheConstitutionwerepassedduringtheProgressiveEra.

SixteenthAmendment(1913)-establishedafederalincometax

SeventeenthAmendment(1913)-establishedthedirectelectionofsenators

EighteenthAmendment(1919)-bannedthesaleofalcoholicbeverages

NineteenthAmendment(1920)-gavewomentherighttovote

PureFoodandDrugActof1906-createdtheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)toregulatethesafetyof foodproductsandmedicine

ClaytonAntitrustActof1914-endeavoredtolimitbusinessesfromcreatingmonopolies

NoteworthypioneersoftheProgressiveEra

JaneAddams-First Americanwomantowin aNobelPeacePrize, foundedtheHullHouse inChicago,whichwasa settlementhousethat helpedimmigrants adjusttotheUnited States

IdaTarbell-ateacher, author,andjournalist whopublishedabookin 1904thatisconsidered oneofthefirst piecesofinvestigative journalism,thebook exposedthecorrupt practicesofthe StandardOilcompany andJohnD.Rockefeller

IdaB.Wells-anAfrican Americanjournalistand

activistwhowroteabook thatdescribedthe discriminationanddanger facedbyAfricanAmericans livingintheAmerican South;wasoneofthe foundersoftheNational Associationforthe AdvancementofColored People(NAACP)

UptonSinclair-wrote TheJungle in1905, whichexposedthe horrificworking conditionsofthe meatpacking industryandalertedthe publictothe contaminationrampant withinthemeatindustry

Allimagesfromcommons.wikimedia.org

AlthoughtheProgressiveErawasfullofgreatpositivechangefortheUnitedStates,itwasalsoatimeofgreat discriminationandprejudice.DuringWoodrowWilson’spresidency(1913-1921),hisadministrationpusheda discriminatoryracialagendathatsegregatedthefederalgovernment.Duringthistime,therewasalsoahugerevival oftheKuKluxKlanandahorrificbacklashagainsteconomicandpoliticalprogressmadebyAfricanAmericansafter Reconstruction.Laborunionspushedxenophobicideasthatblamedimmigrantsforhorribleworkingconditionsand lowwages.TheImmigrationActof1917andNationalQuotaLawof1921werepassedduringthistime,which greatlylimitedimmigrationbasedonnationalityandexcludedmanyimmigrantsofAsiandescent.Eugenicsalso rosetopopularityduringtheProgressiveEra.Eugenicssoughttoimprovethegeneticmakeupofthehuman populationthroughpoliciesthatwouldencouragemore“desirable”peopletohavemorechildrenwhilepreventing thosedeemed“undesirable”fromreproducing.White,Anglo-SaxonProtestantswereconsideredtobeatthetopof thehierarchy,andminoritygroups,peopleofthelowerclass,immigrants,andanyonewithdisabilitieswere consideredtobeonthelowerendofthehierarchy.TheUnitedStatesbecamethefirstcountrywithacompulsory sterilizationlawin1907.Morethan60,000Americansweresterilizedtopreventthemfromhavingchildren.

When OurTown waswritten

OurTown premieredonBroadwayin1938,whichwasneartheendoftheGreatDepression(1929-1939).The GreatDepressionwasatimeofsevereeconomichardshipintheUnitedStatesandothercountriesaroundthe world.AttheheightoftheGreatDepression,around15millionAmericanswerewithoutjobsandaroundhalfthe banksintheUnitedStatesfailed.Peoplewereforcedtoleavetheirhomesandbusiness,andhomelessness increasedacrossthecountry.

TheatreduringtheGreatDepression

IntheeraleadinguptotheGreatDepression,thetheatrewashugelypopularintheUnitedStates.In1927,200 millionpeopleflockedtoNewYorkCitytoseethe250showsonBroadway.Howeverafterthestockmarketcrashin 1929,thenumberofproductionsdeclineddramatically,audiencememberslessened,andtheatreprofessionalsleft theindustrytoworkinHollywood.

TheFederalTheatreProject

TheFederalTheatreProjectwascreatedtohelpgiveworktounemployedartistsandtobringtheatretothose significantlyaffectedbytheGreatDepression.Theprojectgaverisetoanewgenerationoftheatreasnewvoices, themes,andaudienceswerecultivated.

Althoughthiswasafederalproject,regionaladministrationcentersexistedacrossthecountry,andtheyadapted themselvestotheneedsandissuesoftheircommunities.TheNationalServiceBureauhelpedtocoordinateand unitetheseregionalcentersatanationallevel.Theywroteandtranslatedplays,sharedresearchandother resources,andprovidedsupporttoprojects.Regionalcentersexchangedplaysacrossthecountry,andeachplay wasadaptedtodiscusstheissuesandconcernsoftheirlocalcommunities.Travelingtheatersalsotook performancestoruralareasthatusuallydidnothaveaccesstotheatre.

TheFederalTheatreProjectalsohadahugeinvestmentinchildren’stheatre.Unitsfocusingspecificallyon children’stheatrewereestablishedacrossthecountry,andtheproductionsaimedtofocusonbothentertainment andeducation.Puppetshowswerereallypopularduetotheirlowcostsandabilitytotoureasily.Puppetshows weretakentoschools,parks,andtheatersacrossthenation,andworkshopswerealsohostedthattaughtchildren howtobuildtheirownpuppets.

In1935,TheNegroTheatreProjectwasestablishedasapartoftheFederalTheatreProject.Unitswere establishedacrossthecountry,butoneofthemostwellknownwaslocatedinLafayetteTheatreinHarlem. Voodoo Macbeth,writtenbyOrsonWelles,anactor,director,andplaywright,wasoneofthemostpopularperformancesof theNewYorklocation.ThisadaptationofShakespeare’s Macbeth wassetinHaitiratherthanScotlandand incorporatedaspectsofHaitiancultureintotheperformance.Althoughpopular,itwasacontroversialperformance withafullcastofAfricanAmericanactorsandwithOrsonWelles,awhiteman,asthedirectorandwriter.Somefelt thatOrsonsoughttomocktheactorsintheproduction,whileotherssawthisasagreatopportunityforAfrican Americanactorstoshowcasetheirtalentsinfrontofasegregatedaudience.Theproductionof VoodooMacbeth raisedmanyissuesthatweredirectlyaffectingtheiraudiencemembersandthenationalcommunity.

FederalfundingforTheFederalTheatreProjectendedin1939,thereforeshuttingdowntheproject.TheFederal TheatreProjectchangedthefaceofAmericantheatreandleftalegacythatstillisseenintheatretoday.

ReadingList

ExploreThorntonWilder’sotherplaysandnovels.

Plays

TheMatchmaker

TheSkinofOurTeeth

TheAlcestiad

TheBeaux’Stratagem

TheEmporium

ADoll’sHouse:ANewActingVersion

TheLongChristmasDinner

TheHappyJourneytoTrentonand Camden

PullmanCarHiawatha

QueensofFrance

SuchThingsOnlyHappeninBooks

LoveandHowtoCureIt

Novels

TheBridgeofSanLuisRey

TheCabala

TheWomanofAndros

Heaven’sMyDestination

TheIdesofMarch

TheEighthDay

TheeophilusNorth

Sources

Blair,Mary.“AJourneythrough“OurTown.””PortlandCenterStage,www.pcs.org/features/a-journey-through-our-town.Accessed13 Mar.2023.

Dowling,Kathleen,LauraMartePiccini,andMatthewSchofield.TheShowMustGoOn!AmericanTheaterintheGreatDepression. DigitalPublicLibraryofAmerica.February2014.https://dp.la/exhibitions/the-show.

“Fiction.”ThorntonWilder,www.thorntonwilder.com/fiction.Accessed13Mar.2023.

Getchell,Michelle.“TheProgressiveEra.”KhanAcademy,2008,www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to-world-power/ageof-empire/a/the-progressive-era.

Kliment,Bud.“TheBirthandLifeofanAmericanClassic:“OurTown.””Pulitzer.org,www.pulitzer.org/article/birth-and-life-americanclassic-our-town.

“Plays.”ThorntonWilder,www.thorntonwilder.com/plays.Accessed13Mar.2023.

ThorntonWilder.www.thorntonwilder.com/biography.