Set in the small New England town of Grover’s Corners at the dawn of the 20th century, Our Town offers theatregoers a glimpse into the daily rhythms governing the lives of neighbouring families.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, written by Thornton Wilder in 1938, is Ladysmith Little Theatre’s latest production and community theatre at its finest.
Torry Clark, a bearded, barrel-chested, baritone, shines as the stage manager and third-person narrator of the play as he guides the audience through town and introduces them to its cast of characters.
Set in three acts, the play opens in 1901 on the sleepy streets of Grover’s Corners. Chauffeured along by Clark, the audience meets the town’s paper boy (young Colton Vandermine) and the milkman (Howie Newsome) before making the acquaintance of the Gibbs and the Webbs, two families at the heart of this small-town drama.
Doc and Mrs. Gibbs live next door to the Webbs with their daughter Rebecca (Aija Alle Kopas) and son George (Scott Bastian). Across the way live Mr. Webb, editor of the Grover’s Corner Sentinel, his wife Mrs. Webb, their daughter Emily and son Wally (Vandermine’s second of three roles).
Wilder hints at a future romance between George Gibbs and Emily Webb, and it’s not long before that romance takes shape, complete with all the romantic awkwardness inherent in the quaint, outdated norms of yesteryear.
While portions of the storyline are guaranteed to leave certain audience members feeling out-of-touch, the performances delivered by Little Theatre’s talented cast will make seeing it more than worth your while.
Pam Walker and Erik Tully — Doc and Mrs. Gibbs — are so convincingly affectionate, they leave you with the impression that they’ve been happily married for exactly 40 years.
And Bastian and Bill Young (Mr. Webb)’s pre-wedding sit-down is as convincingly awkward as one might expect from a future father-in-law and his son-in-law-to-be.
Our Town is a production guaranteed to put a smile on your face while reminding you to step back from your daily routine from time to time to appreciate the fact that you’re fortunate enough to be counted among the living.
Our Town will continue its run with performances scheduled for March 28 -31 and April 4 -7.
Evening performances of Our Town run Thursdays through Saturdays. Doors open at 7:30 prior to 8 p.m. show times, and tickets cost $20. Hungry theatregoers can enjoy an optional Friday and Saturday night pre-show dinner for an additional cost of $20 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. Doors open for Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. curtain time.
Tickets are available online or by phone at 250-924-0658.