Thornton Wilder was born on April 17, 1897 in Madison Wisconson. “Our Town” premiered in McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey on January 22, 1938. It’s New York City debut happened in Henry Miller’s Theatre on February 4, 1938. Later, it moved to the Morosco Theatre. In 1938, Wilder was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Our Town.” The Soviet Union prevented “Our Town” from showing in Berlin in 1946 because it was “too depressing and could inspire a German suicide wave.” Besides the awards he received for “Our Town,” Wilder was awarded two more Pulitzer prizes and a National Book Award.
1. 1. We talked about this a little bit in class on Wednesday, but what do you think the significance of the invisible props are? Do you think it detracts from the performance or adds to it?
2. 2. Why do you think Wilder chooses to keep the play in stasis for Acts 1 and 2? Do you think it helps to add to the story line of the play in Act 3?
3. 3. On page 83, Emily says “Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they liv it? –every, every minute?” Do you think that humans really do see the beauty in life or that they take it for granted?
4. 4. Why do you think Wilder chose to title the acts the way he did? Why do you think he split the play up this way? (Daily Life, Love and Marriage, and Death and Eternity)
5. 5. Why do you think Wilder had the Stage Manager play all of the small characters as well as the stage manager?
6. 6. What were your thoughts on how the play jumped around in time? Why do you think Wilder chose to tell the story this way?
7. 7. I had never read “Our Town”. Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen in Act 3 and was TOTALLY caught off guard. I really want to know what everyone else thought would happen in Act 3.
7. I totally had a brain-fart moment while reading Our Town... one of the local high schools performed it and Oklahoma! a few years ago. A few of my friends performed in both of them. So for some strange reason, in my mind I pictured my friends acting and saying all the lines, but with the scenery from Oklahoma in the background. By the end of Act 3, I was confused because I wondered just where the heck Judd was, and then it dawned on me that I had gotten the two confused. Being confused, as well as having seen it before, made Act 3 less surprising for me.
ReplyDeleteTL;DR: I think having a lack of props makes the play less memorable.
3. On page 83, Emily says “Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they liv it? –every, every minute?” Do you think that humans really do see the beauty in life or that they take it for granted?
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone takes life for granted some times, at least once in their lives but the funny thing is there’s so many ways to do it. Personally, I know I take it for granted a lot because I’ve been through a lot (which really doesn’t make since but that’s how I am) but I know for a fact that there are people, kids, all kinds of living things that have it harder than I ever will EVERY moment of their lives. Everyone has their moments, but at least when we appreciate it, we REALLY appreciate it. Too bad it usually doesn’t last long.
4. Why do you think Wilder chose to title the acts the way he did? Why do you think he split the play up this way? (Daily Life, Love and Marriage, and Death and Eternity)
I think that for some people, this unfortunately is all that’s in store for them. Once you’re grown and on your own, life usually sucks unless you’ve made a change or make a change. Those three acts are our future people, accept it
5. Why do you think Wilder had the Stage Manager play all of the small characters as well as the stage manager?
I don’t know. At first, I thought he could’ve been God and then I was like no, he’s probably death and then I wondered why he was even there. He obviously had a purpose because he basically did everything,; he knew everything, made everything, told everything and revealed everything. It didn’t bother me though, in fact, I thought it was interesting. I just pictured him as Morgan Freeman walking around, talking and stuff.
7. I had never read “Our Town”. Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen in Act 3 and was TOTALLY caught off guard. I really want to know what everyone else thought would happen in Act 3.
I had never read it before either and I was shocked when I read Act III, not because of what it was but because of what everyone else had made it out to be. I read the first two acts on Tuesday and I kind of knew what to expect in the third act because of what the stage manager had said before (how we could guess the next act or whatever) and I was right. I felt played though, because in class, y’all (people who read this before, you know who you are lol) made the third act sound amazing and incredible and totally unpredictable….to me it wasn’t. The way it was portrayed and its meaning were spectacular, but y’all really got my hopes up. I was let down; overall, I still liked it though
1. I think the invisible props detract from the performance. I am a visual learner, so I like to see things in action. I think you would have to have significant/amazing actors to pull it off. In a typical high school play, I think props should be included.
ReplyDelete2. I think Wilder chose to keep the play in stasis in Act I and II to add an emphasis to Act III. I think it definitely adds to the story line and allows the viewers to keep watching. While reading, I couldn’t wait till Act III, I knew an intrusion had to come around eventually!
3. I think for the most part, humans take life for granted. It is usually not until an eye-opening event or the recognition of our sinful nature, that we began to truly give thanks for all we are given. When an individual begins to understand the value of life and how short it really is compared to eternity, they begin to cherish the small things and give thanks for all they have. As a whole, the human species is not like this though.
4. I think he wanted us to realize how short life can be. “It goes by within a blink of an eye.” For many, this is a typical pattern for life, I think Wilder challenges the viewer to dig deep within your own life and question if you realize life as you are living it?
5. I think he wanted the Stage Manager to be omnipresent. In some ways, I think this helps add to his persona of a God figure.
6. I read the play twice. The first time I was not into the jump around technique, but the second time I had a firmer grip on what was going on and actually enjoyed it. I think watching it, would be really cool!
7. I had never read “Our Town” either and honestly was anxious about Act III. In class everyone kept saying, “O man, get ready for Act III, it’s crazy!” So, obviously I was super pumped, but I was let down. I thought there was going to be a secret affair or massacre shoot out. I expected it to end much more dark and twisted then it did. I know talking dead people are no rainbows and butterflies but after reading what they said, I was enlightened and inspired by life. I could just be a weirdo though!
In Act 3, I thought that aliens would've came and interrupted the stasis of the town because of the letter at the end of Act 1, and the story reminded me of "The Twilight Zone" because it had that 1950's feel of perfection, and that suspense of something coming to disturb their perfection.
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