http://XXXX.blogspot.com/
A HIGH LIFE.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
My Opinion on Our Town
Originally, I would have said that the directing of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer prize-winning “Our Town” was a field barren of imagination and yet strewn with ordure—because of the naked background, a stylistic choice of the director.
Less originally, I would have stated that the distressingly bovine expressions on the actors’ faces melded in harmony with the bleakness of the set—because of the character’s gradual development.
I will utter none of these, because as one can see by the end of the first act, it is untrue. As a collective whole, the show was brought to an admirably neat close by the script. As the play wears on, rather than wearing thin, it becomes pleasingly thicker and more complex. One can see the progression of the actors into their characters as they move through their lives
“Our Town,” a story of the character growth of ordinary people and the minute, seemingly insignificant details of their lives as they interact, takes place in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire. Largely the focus is on the life of Emily Webb, who married George Gibbs, and dies, joining other townsfolk in the cemetery. In this “Town” there is daily life that spans many years, love and marriage, and then death.
A man’s melodious voice saunters onstage, and his body, the stage manager—the narrator—as played by Julian Bayles, follows soon after. Also notable was a nearly superb rendition of sweet mother Mrs. Gibbs by Melissa Wohlgemuth. Bayles’ understated but effective presentation was, along with Wohlgemuth’s, the virtuoso performance of the night, and theirs are the constant glimmering lights in the sometimes confused arena of the play acting—probably due to the fact that the time shifts quickly.
The lighting effects as designed by William Sammon cleverly highlight the white faces of the “dead,” as they stare out into the audience, an extremely effective technique to contrast the living and those who are not. Throughout, the sound effects of Stefan Toubia are successful, albeit somewhat distracting because the attention was directed toward the sounds rather than the person.
It is an interesting choice to choose a cross as a stage—besides its “in-the-round” advantages—because the play can easily be crucified upon it. However, quite a few will surely trot into the touching performance of “Our Town” with open hearts and leave with full ones.Labels: opinion, writing
-------------------LIVE HIGH!LIVE WILD!--------------- ; {9:53 AM}
_________________________________________________________
