Our Town

Hello everyone :). Right, today is my first theatre show review. I have literally just got back from seeing "Our Town" - a production put on by our secound years. Now here's a bit of background of the play (going to get a little boring but needs to be done ;) )- it was written a very long time ago in 1938 by a man called Thornten Wilder. Now, Wilder is famous for his daring staging, and is responsible for many techniques that are now a major part of our everyday theatrical language. Taking an influence from the simplicity of Japanese Theatre, Wilder uses an almost completely bare stage to explore the lives of the inhabitants of the fictional town of "Grovers Corners", New Hampshire from 1899 to 1913. The play has 3 acts with 2 intervals. Our town was an incredibly successful play at the time, which consequently meant it lead to a million school productions which took it off the critical radar for some time. However, a serious of professional productions over the past two years has led to the reveal that this play is possibly the greatest achievement of American twentieth century theatre...and you know what? I think I can agree with that statement. Well done second years.

The play itself follows the lives of two teenagers, neighbouring eachother, and falling in love. Thats just the first act though. The interval passes 3 years and the second act goes on to marriage. The second interval then passes a following 9 years, and yes, the third act is death.

The play itself, for me, is almost like a life. The character that stood out for me was the stage manager, taking on the role as narrator. For me - he made the whole play. They didnt have any set for what he was describing except for a couple of chairs and tables, but he really did paint the whole picture in the audience's heads. We could see the gardens, where sunflowers and peas were growing. The feilds where cows were grazing and the main street where everyone was just about to wake up. It was brilliant and so satisfying for the members of the audience.
The in love teenage characaters managed to capture the hearts of the audience as we followed them on their nervous and cold feet journey of falling in love and getting married. The audeince felt the ache the parents did when they talked about giving away their son or daughter. And finally no member of the audience had dry eyes when it came to the funeral, and the after life. Now I won't reveal too much as I would really reccomend that if there is a production near you to go and see it without a second thought, and this is why -
The last act does something to an audience that almost every play wants to achieve but rarely does to this level. It makes the audience question their own outlook on life. The third act takes the death on a journey back to their before lives, and they see all the things they missed when they were living and, they realise how ignorant and selfish they were. No one on this earth dies knowing the full beauty of life. Now, as the stage manager says, now we've told you this, you have the chance to see it....

Wow. I mean I walked into this play thinking I was going to be bored..maybe falling asleep a little, just trying to get through it because I will be studying it next year. And now, I've walked out with a new found apreciation, a willingless to question myself and change. If I can perform in a play that does just that to an audience member, I will be a happy and fulfilled actress.   
Now not everyone will agree with me, and thats fine, as like all theatre - we love it or hate it. Some people did fall asleep, some people hated it... I loved it.
Now my message to you in this blog is something I've learned from my degree, and experience whilst being here. Don't go and see the plays you'll think you'll like all the time, go to the ones you think you'll hate. Challenge yourself and in doing so you will find out some amazing things, be inspired, and all in all become a lot more experienced.

I am now off to the theatre for the second time, as we have all been given free tickets to a performance at the warwick arts centre :). The production is by experimental theatre makers, Reckless Sleepers and is work in progress, called Empire. Those of you who are doing a degree in theatre will know how much of a priviledge this is. I have spent unbelieveable amounts on productions, because as a theatre student you should go to at least one production a month. Ive been to about 10 already - and this is just my first term! I will be putting up a few more reviews in the future so keep posted. Hope this hasn't been too boring and you've been a little inspired.
And happy challenging ;)

xxx