Nonesuch Players Present Our Town
The Nonesuch Players will stage an adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s American classic Our Town in the Black Box Theater on November 8, 9, and 10 at 7:00 p.m. Set in 1938 in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, Wilder’s play offers a rare vision of our humanity. The town is populated with inhabitants who may seem old-fashioned and naïve, but in reality are very similar to us “in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying.” Tickets are $5 and may be purchased online.
“Our world’s a little crazy these days,” says Director Juliet Chase Bailey in her program notes. “The hateful speech and violence of the past weeks coupled with divisive, tribal politics makes us wonder what’s gone wrong in our country. When those in power challenge our core values of compassion and respect, and signs of division prove more pervasive than calls to unity, life can seem pretty bleak.
“Our Town brings us back to a different world. Wilder’s characters are communal creatures, drawn to live together, work for the good of all, and help one other in times of need. Kids play outside and adults walk to work. On their daily rounds, the milkman, the paperboy, and the town constable greet each neighbor by name. The local doctor delivers all the babies in town. While feminism as we know it is still years away, the wives and mothers work from dawn to dusk cooking, cleaning, and caring for their families and neighbors. And even though these characters worship at different houses and understand life through their own particular lenses, they always unite to honor rites of passage, celebrate weddings, and mourn lost friends. They have each others’ backs when it counts.”
This fall’s Nonesuch Players include (in order of appearance): Natasha McMillan ’19 as Stage Manager; Adebiyi Oyaronbi ’21 as Dr. Gibbs; Celina Chen ’22 as Joe Crowell, Rebecca Gibbs, Si Crowell, and Joe Stoddard; Maggie Monaghan ’19 as Howie Newsome and Simon Stimson; Hannah Long ’21 as Mrs. Gibbs; Meghan Lally ’19 as Mrs. Webb; Eli Wasserman ’21 as George Gibbs; Finn McCusker ’22 as Wally Webb and Constable Warren; Cecily Bua ’21 as Emily Webb; Owen Pfannenstiehl ’19 as Mr. Webb; Aliesha Campbell ’20 as Mrs. Soames; and Adrienne Correia ’22 as Sam Craig.
Abi Warwick ’19 is the stage manager for the production. Assisting Director Bailey is Julia Auster-Hogan ’06 as assistant director and Ben Leeming as technical director. Cathy Favreau is overseeing the props and costumes. Rounding out the crew is Chris Fournier on lighting design and Walt Reagan-Loomis running the lights.
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