BrooklynnIngram

01/26/16
OurTown
OurTownEssay
Ourtownisaplaythatrevolutionizedplaywritinginmanyways.Theplayisonlythree
actsandeachactshowcasesadifferentpartoflife.Thisplayisaboutthelifeofatown,Grovers
Corners,andhowtheygothroughlifeandlearnallthelessonsthataccompanygrowingolder.
ThorntonWilder,theauthor,makesthisplayespeciallyinterestingbyaddinganextremely
dynamictwisttotheroleofStageManager.Typically,thestagemanagerisalmostashadowina
senseastheyassuretheplayrunssmoothlyfromthewings.InOurTown,however,thestage
managerismadeintoanessentialcharacterintheplayprovidingnecessaryinsightand
informationtotheaudienceastheplayprogresses.InthetheplayOurTownbyThornton
Wilder,Wildereliminatestheaudiencesneedforexpositionorcharacterdevelopmentthrough
theStageManagersmonologueswhichallowsthetheme,theimportanceofthesimplicityof
life,tobehighlighted.
InActoneoftheplay,itismadeclearthatthiswillnotbeanaverageplayasthestage
managerbeginspaintingapictureofatownthatonlyhecansee.Heevenbreaksthefourthwall
almostimmediatelybystatingthatTheressomesceneryforthosewhothinktheyhavetohave
scenery.(Act1,pg5)Here,Wilderisnotonlyallowingthestagemanagertointeractwiththe
audienceandsettingupthestagemanagersdynamicpresence,heisalsopromptingtheaudience
tothink.ThethemeofOurTownisthevalueofthesmallthingsindailylife.Heissettingupthe
revealofthiswhenthestagemanagermakesthisstatementtotheaudience.Wilderwantsthe

audiencetoseethebeautyinthesimplethings,thelackofsceneryisametaphor,ofsorts,for
this.AsActonecontinues,Thestagemanagerintroducesmaincharactersandprovides
backgroundforthem.Whatstandsoutaboutthisishisseeminglyomniscientknowledgeofthe
characters.HeinformstheaudiencethatDocGibbsdiedin1930(Act1,pg7)andthatMrs.
Gibbsdiedfirst.(Act1pg7)Here,thestagemanagerisspeakinginpasttense,yetwhenthe
playwasfirstintroduced,heinformedtheaudiencethatThedayisMay7,1901.(Act1pg4)
Thisisallowingtheaudiencetoseethatthestagemanagerisneitherpurelyacharacterora
narrator,butboth.Inthisactalone,thestagemanagerinformstheaudienceofallthenecessary
backgroundinformationwhilesimultaneouslydevelopingthecharacters.Thisallowsthe
characterstojumprightintotheirroleswithoutdelay.ThisisanotherwayinwhichWilder
showcasestheimportanceofsimplicity.Wildercontinuestousethestagemanagerinmany
waysinthesecondact.
InthesecondactofOurTown,thestagemanagersapparentabilitytomanipulatetime
thatwashintedatinthefirstactisexemplified.Thestagemanagersfirstlinesofthisactare,
Threeyearshavegoneby,(Act2pg47)herethestagemanageriscontrollingtimetotakethat
responsibilityoffofthecharacters.Typicallyinaplay,thecharacterswouldhavetosetthisup
throughlengthydialogue.InOurTown,however,Wildereliminatesthecharactersneedtodo
thisthroughthestagemanagersmonologue.TheStageManagersmonologuesinformthe
audienceofmanykeyfactors,suchasthecurrentyear,advancesintechnology,andanyother
happeningsinGroversCorners.Bydoingthis,theStageManagerallowstheaudiencetojump
rightintoaparticularmomentintimewithoutprecursoryactionontheactorspart.Overallthis
adds,evenmoreso,toWildersthemeofsimplicity.

InActthreeofOurTown,perhapsthemostimportantexamplesofhowsignificantthe
stagemanagersroleintheplayis.Thestagemanagersmonologuerevealsthatnineyearshave
goneby,(Act3pg85)andthathorsesaregettingrarer.(Act3pg86)Thestagemanagersets
upthesceneforJoeStoddardandSamCraig,thisisanotheroneoftheStageManagerskey
functionsthroughouttheplay.Hedirectstheaudience'sattentiontowhattheyneedtosee.Inthis
case,heisdirectingtheaudiencesattentiontoanewmadegrave.(Act3pg88)Laterinthe
act,afteritisrevealedthatEmilyhasdiedduringchildbirth,thestagemanagerallowsEmilyto
chooseatimetogobackto.HedoesthisbecauseEmilyisnotreadytoacceptthefactthatsheis
dead.Thismomentisanessentialmomentintheplaybecauseitrevealsjusthowversatilethe
Stagemanagercanbeandhowmanipulativeoftimehecanbe.Emilychoosestogobacktoher
12thbirthday,thismomentservestobeveryimportantintheplaybecauseEmilysrealizationat
thatmomentrevealsthethemeoftheplaytotheaudience.Emilyrealizesthatallthesimple
detailsarewhatmakeslifegreat,sherealizesallthethingsshehastakenforgranted,atonepoint
sayingtotheStageManagerinanguishIcantIcant.(Act3Pg106)Sherevealsthemoralof
thisplaywhenshestatesThatallhumanbeingsare!Justblindpeople.(Act3Pg109)Wilder
istryingtotelltheaudiencethatpeopleareneversatisfiedwithwhattheyhaveandarealwaysin
pursuitofmore.Asaresult,theymisstheimportanceandvalueofthesimplethingsinlife.
TherearemanypeoplewhohavedifferentviewsonthecreativityofOurTown.Michael
SommersoftheNYTIMESsays
TheartfulsimplicityofWildersproseandstructurein
creatingamicrocosmofaNewHampshirevillageoftheearly1900sremainsremarkableand
beguiling.
Ibelievethatmostpeoplefeelthiswaybecauseofhowrevolutionarythisplaywas.

IntheplayOurTown,ThorntonWilderchroniclestheeverydaylifeofcitizensof
GroversCorners.Hechoosesonlyafewkeymomentsfromtheirlife.Thisiskeyinhimgetting
hispointacross.ThemainwayWildergetshispointacrossisthroughhisuseoftheStage
Manager.Wildereliminatestheaudiencesneedforexpositionorcharacterdevelopmentthrough
theStageManagersmonologueswhichallowsthetheme,theimportanceofthesimplicityof
life,tobehighlighted.