Thornton Wilder

e. e. cumming’s poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town” and Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” share many similarities. Throughout both the poem and the play, each set their focus on time and how it passes without notice with the changing of seasons and weather until death. In an article about the poem the line “Used to tell time long before the invention of clocks and calendars, the seasons, heavenly bodies, and weather are ancient signifiers of time as it passes” (Poetry for Students) helps bring both the poem and play together and shows the common theme of time. The recurring lines in the poem that talks about weather and seasons is closely reflected when in every section of the play the towns folk always seem to have an obsession with the…

Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder in 1938, is sometimes known as one of his best works. "Beautiful and remarkable-one of the sagest, warmest and most deeply human scripts to have come out of theatre...A spiritual experience" (Burbank 151). The play deals with at least three themes. The first theme appears in the first act dealing with daily life. A second theme shows up in Act II dealing with love and marriage. The third theme appears in act III having to do with death. Set on May 7, 1901,…

The Stairs of Life In the first act of life, people crawl on all fours. In the second act of love and marriage, they walk on two legs. In the third act of death, people walk with a cane, and eventually meet their untimely demise. Similar to the sphinx’s riddle in Oedipus Rex, Our Town, written by Thornton Wilter, includes these major themes in each scene of the play. The first act includes the theme of small town life where the story takes place in New Hampshire in a small fictional town known…

CRR #7 Observations: In the reading Our Town by Thornton Wilder I felt the feeling of being included in the audience because he gives us the layout at the beginning. Another detail that contributes to this feeling of being included is by having the stage manager speak directly to us. When he starts describing the town and how small it is it reminds me of Porterville and how nothing really happens there or here. I find it sad when the stage manager tells us about all the things Joe is…

Algona High School’s production of “Our Town” by playwright Thornton Wilder shows that life in itself is beautiful and interesting, but that humans take it for granted every day. This is shown by the activities of everyday people living in Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire. This play shows that even the most mundane tasks and daily activities are still valuable and significant in life, and that though you may not see the end coming, it will come, and that this life we have is transient. The first…

Our Town is an interesting play written by Thornton Wilder. At the beginning you are learning about a town and their ways, then at the end you find yourself watching a dead person experiencing life again. The novel is very interesting and keeps your attention throughout it. Our Town is considered a classic. What is a classic, and why is Our Town one? Many people think there are different reasons novels are considered classics, but there is one that stands out. A classic novel is classic because…

Thornton Wilder creates a celebration of life in his play Our Town. Unlike most plays, Wilder strips the scenery, set, and props bare in Our Town to elevate the greatness of the simple and ordinary life while presenting “no curtain. No scenery. The audience, arriving, sees an empty stage in half light” (Wilder act 1). The playwright invites the audience to use their imagination to fill in the lack of detail. He makes the story personal by creating a simple plot, ordinary characters, and using…

Steven Napier DRAM 1310, Lee, On-Line 8 May 16 Our Town by Thornton Wilder Critique I watched the 1940 version showing of “Our Town” offered by Turner Classic Movies; as an alternative assignment for the on campus production. The over-all message that it conveyed to me; was that even in today’s times, we tend to be moving too fast and hardly ever take the time and just -see life-. Taking place in early 1901. I’ll cover 3 of the main characters that seemed to have the most impact for the story. I…

Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder, has much to say on the subject of life and the thought we put into our living. The play is packed with characters making you see a more three dimensional town. Seeing a vast assortment of characters throughout time makes the production feel real to the audience. The main character Emily who we constantly see throughout the production grow and develop not only as a charter but as a person. Emily goes through her teenage years along with George her lifelong…

Thursday, October, 8, 2015, I was privileged with the opportunity to see the production, Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder, and directed by Rose Riordan. Our Town takes place in a small town called Grover’s Corner in the early 1900’s. Our Town is presented in a much different manor than most plays today. Instead of changing sets and meticulously hand painted backdrops, the actors use nothing but some chairs and a pair of ladders. The storyline of the play is intriguing, but not so much as the…