When trying to explain what is so special and important about Our Town, it is hard to find words that are any better than those that Thornton Wilder himself uses throughout the piece. Wilder’s Stage Manager, who you will soon meet, is a truly fascinating invention. The character is self-aware of its own existence within a work of fiction, and, therefore, makes commentary on the importance of the play in which they exist as a character. As you listen, I am certain that you will draw your own conclusions about what it is that he wants us to understand about the human experience.

Our Town can seem very simple on the surface, yet, in every re-read and re-watch I notice some little detail that wasn’t evident before. The theme that rises in my mind one day is complicated, altered, or added to with each new visit to Grover’s Corners. This is even more true through my work with this incredibly talented cast and creative team. It is always powerful to create a hive mind around a piece of art and see all the unique perspectives coming together to create something new and fresh.

Of all the many important musings on life that are brought forth in this piece, the one that resonates the most is the one that justifies all the time and energy that I have spent, and that so many others have spent, living in this and other fictional worlds. The Stage Manager will explain it better than I will, but, here is what really matters: In fictional worlds, we can see the real world. We can truly see the world as it was.

When we see the world as it was, it is often surprising both how similar it is to and how different it is from the world that is. These are not just antiquated visions of the past. They are real people who reflect things that are still true for us and for our world. Even without milkmen and paper boys and prescribed gender roles, we can see ourselves in the way that they lived and loved and died. By the time that the Stage Manager tells you about that something “eternal,” you will likely already have seen what they mean.

This may be a work of fiction, but my hope is that the people of Grover’s Corners will soon feel very real to you. The characters are intended to be so real that you don’t even need intricate props or fancy sets to transport you to their world. I truly hope that you enjoy your visit as much as I have.