Of Love and Life: Production of "Our Town" Finds Beauty in the Day-to-Day

Over the course of three acts, the residents of Grover’s Corners, the fictional New Hampshire town where the play is set, journey through their lives. This story and setting resonated deeply with the play’s director, senior Lauren G., who made her directorial debut with Our Town as part of her Concentration in Technical Theater. “I grew up in Peterborough, New Hampshire, the town Thornton Wilder famously based Grover’s Corners on, and this was something the people of Peterborough were very proud of,” Lauren shared in her Director’s Note in the play’s program. “When choosing a show to direct for my Concentration project, Our Town seemed the obvious choice.”

With a talented cast and crew, each night of Our Town was delivered with emotion and poignancy that left the audience reflecting on its characters' lives. A Stage Manager, played by Katarina S. ’26, narrates the story as characters engage with one another and time passes with each scene. Two Grover’s Corners families — the Gibbs (played by Vivian P. ’26, Katharina E. ’27, Cam F. ’27, and Coco E. ’29) and the Webb family (played by Katt G. ’26, ZoraNelle B. ’26, Raven L. ’26, and Krissa T. ’20) — are at the center of the story as their lives intertwine first as neighbors and then deeper as their children George and Emily grow (in Act I — A Day in the Life), marry (in Act II — Love and Marriage), and ultimately face tragedy (in Act III — Death). View photos and video from the production. 

As Lauren shared in another excerpt from her Director’s Note, “The simplicity of the story is something that has always fascinated me. The story is neither fantastical nor idealistic; it is a realistic portrayal of the cycle of life: normal days, a sensible marriage, and, most notably, death. This doesn’t mean the story is monotonous; it challenges the audience to realize the small beauties in their life without a spectacle to keep them entertained.” Lauren’s final words to the audience convey the depth and significance of Our Town’s story, as she advised the audience to carry the play’s theme back into their day-to-day lives. “So my challenge to you is the same: try to realize life as you live it.”

Bravo to the entire cast and crew for all their hard work on this compelling production. Special congratulations to Lauren on her directorial debut, with gratitude to producer Karin Thorndike and stage manager Josephine K. ‘27. Special thanks to Easton Peterson (Cadey ’28); Dr. Christine de Denus; the Foxcroft Maintenance team; Alex Northrup; and the Stagecoach Theatre Company for the many ways they contributed to the production.