Our Town

1. Our Town By Thornton Wilder3 Act Play Written in 1937 Quandaries & Relationships

2. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder • Thornton Wilder • American Novelist & Playwright • Known for his unique treatment of universal themes • Believed truth could only be discovered in the lives of ordinary people 1997 Stamp commemorating Thornton Wilder

3. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder • He was awarded 3 Pulitzer Prizes • The Bridge of San Luis Rey (novel) • Our Town (play) • The Skin of Our Teeth (play) • He was awarded a U.S. National Book Award for the novel The Eighth Day.

4. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder • Born: April 17, 1897 • Died: December 7, 1975 • Birthplace: Madison, WI • Location of death: Hamden, CT • Cause of death:Heart FailureRemains:Buried, Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hamden, CTReligion: CongregationalistOccupation:Novelist,  Playwright

5. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder • Written in 1937 • Allegory= • Genre- Realism= Allegory= a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one: Realism is identified when artists/writers attempt to capture the “real World” within their art

6. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder • The play defies most conventional theatrical genres. • It is neither a comedy nor a tragedy, neither a romance nor a farce. • It is a contemplative (prolonged thought) work concerning the human experience. Genre-

7. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire • Setting: • Time: “Our Town”- is a three-act play modeled after several New Hampshire towns Starts in 1901 The play spans from until 1913

8. “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire • Setting: • Time: “Our Town”- is a three-act play modeled after several New Hampshire towns Starts in 1901 The play spans from until 1913

9. “Our Town” DIALECTThornton Wilder a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group. • Dialect • Our Town, takes Wilder uses dialect to remind the audience it placed in a rural setting. • Words are shortened and missing syllables, to stress the region’s dialect. • The town is small and in 1930s America. • Example"Nobody very remarkable ever come out of it, s'far as we know" (I.40).

10. “Our Town” Universal Themes • In “ Our Town, ” Wilder captures the universal experience of being alive.” Donald Marguilies Daily Life Love Death

11. No curtain. No scenery. • The first production, the audience saw a • "an empty stage in half-light," with • "no curtain and no scenery." • In 1938, a bare stage was unexpected and disorienting. • The bare stage was not a new idea. Shakespeare's plays were generally performed on an empty stage. • Wilder rejected theatrical realism • Instead he wanted to challenge the audience to view play on stage for what it was - a play. “Our Town” Scenery • Scenery

12. “Our Town” • Alienation= is designed to distance the audience from emotional involvement • Wilder = uses Alienation Effect • Narrator- (The Stage Manager) • Provides extensive explanations, commentary. • Actors step out of characters to lecture Staging Setting StageManager

13. “Our Town” Staging • Staging • Minimal Scenery • Chairs and Ladders • The staging forces the audience to focus on the internal rather than the external • Allows the setting to be more universal

14. “Our Town” Staging • Setting • Perpetual Present Tense: • All past, present, and future actions take place in the here and now.” • Time is fluid

15. The stage manager encourages the audience to reflecton what they are seeing by interrupting the plot to comment on the action. Stage Manager Narrator and character Role:Purpose: The audience’s connection between the play and reality.

16. Characters • Stage Manager • George Gibbs • Emily Webb • Dr. Gibbs • Mrs. Gibbs • Mr. Webb • Mrs. Webb

17. Characters • Mrs. Soames • Simon Stimson • Rebecca Gibbs • Wally Webb • Howie Newsome • Joe Crowell, Jr. • Si Crowell

18. Characters • Professor Willard • Constable Warren • Sam Craig • Joe Stoddard

19. Torrent- • Parlor • Burgle • Radiant • Pince-nez A violently fast stream of water “Our Town” Vocabulary A living room or sitting room in a house To rob; to steal Things that glow; beaming Eye glasses; spectacles

20. Savant- • Handkerchief • Sassy • Sentimentality Extremely intelligent; a learned person “Our Town” Vocabulary Piece of cloth (reusable) to blow one’s nose Bold; fresh Quality of being overly dramatically emotional; excessive tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.

21. “Our Town” Vocabulary • Abrupt • Barren • Contriving • Epitaph • Eternal Sudden Empty Scheming, planning Short verse or phrase inscribed on a headstone Lasting forever; enduring

22. A cotton fabric, usually striped or checked • Gingham • Highboy • Incubator • Livery • Lugubrious • Miser “Our Town” Vocabulary A tall chest of drawers Apparatus in which eggs are hatched artificially A business that rents outs horses ( or cars) Mournful; dismal A stingy; cheap person

23. Patent • Phosphate • Proscenium • Rheumatism • Sacrament An invention or product that is protected by the government that limits the production by on certain companies “Our Town” Vocabulary A carbonated drink with fruit syrup The arch that separates the stage from the audience Pain and stiffness in the back and joints, accompanying old age A Christian rite that symbolizes grace (free from sin)

24. “Our Town” Major ConflictS • Major Conflict- Humans are constantly struggling to realize that the eternal exists even within ordinary events. • Act III: In the play, the dead, believe that human beings “don’t understand” the true significance of existence. “We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always slosinghold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

25. “Our Town” THEMES • Themes: • Recurring Theme = human have the tendency to miss the simple joys of their lives. Throughout the play, characters learn of opportunities and experiences missed while paying attention to other, less important things. • Humans do not fully appreciate life while they live it • THEMES: birth, life, and daily activity • the importance of seizing the opportunities life presents, rather than waiting for things to happen. (The trip to Paris).. • t

26. “Our Town”