The Grand Theatre is holding performances of Thornton Wilder’s, “Our Town” from Jan. 22-25, Jan. 29-Feb. 1, and Feb. 6-8 with matinees on Jan. 27 and Feb. 1.
Students can score free tickets to the play with their OneCards by visiting the box office at South City Campus or by calling (801)957-3322 to reserve their tickets.
This 1938 play portrays the lives of ordinary citizens in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners. The production features an ensemble cast of 24, as the play depicts the lives of the village against the lives of the stars. There are no props and minimal set pieces.
“Everything is just created by the actors,” says Director Mark Fossen. “It requires the audience to use its imagination.”
The play’s power lies in its simplicity and the ability to portray life as it is. Thorton Wilder worked in archeology and found that most of what he discovered are the mundane things in life, like shards of pottery.
“’Our Town’ is just about normal life,” says Fossen. “Life goes on, and what Wilder is trying to say is ‘That’s what’s important.’”
“It’s the great American play,” says Fossen. “If there is a [TV] show where some high schooler is doing theater, it’s either ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ or ‘Our Town’.”
Part of the American Classics Series that is funded through the Cultural Vision Fund, “Our Town” features a stage manager that narrates the play.
“It’s not a comedy; it feels much more like an indie movie,” says Fossen. “It’s not in any way depressing. It’ll make you think; it’ll make you feel.”
Fossen says that the cast is great and that they will give a performance that will impress even those who have seen the play before.
“Its message is clear and accessible to a lot of age ranges,” says Fossen. “This is a very charming play.”
