Provincial yet universal
Ann Arbor Civic Theater presents classic 'Our Town'
Sunday, March 06, 2005
BY JENN MCKEE
News Arts Writer
Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" was the first play many of us ever read, and for
better or for worse, this widespread familiarity makes it a favorite at all levels of the
theatrical food chain.
"A lot of times, the show's done for the wrong reasons," said Glenn Bugala,
director of the Ann Arbor Civic Theater's new production. "There's no set, and
there's lots of good roles ... so there have been lots of poor productions in the past.
But while I was deciding what play I wanted to do, I looked at scores of scripts, and I
just thought it was a great piece of literature - universal in scope though provincial in
location."
That location, of course, is Grover's Corners, N.H., and the play is set at the turn of
the 20th century. On display are the inner workings of the Gibbs and the Webb families,
particularly George Gibbs and Emily Webb, who fall in love as teenagers. They marry, but
they soon face tragedy, and a narrating stage manager acts as the audience's guide.
Bugala once played the stage manager in a production of "Town" at U-M Flint, but
his life has changed substantially since that time, making the play a more personal and
moving experience for him.
"I didn't expect to feel so emotional when directing Act III," he said.
"Sometimes I've just been reduced to tears as I talk with actors about what's going
on in Act III. ...It's a hopeful ending, but the play takes a serious turn, and Emily has
to say goodbye forever to the world she knew."
Actor Jon Elliott, who plays Mr. Webb, has also had a deeply personal response to the
play, since he is the father of daughters in real life who will soon be approaching the
age of love and marriage. "Sometimes I have to work to keep my emotions in check
because of the things the play has in common with my personal life," he said.
Despite experiencing such moments, Elliott has also noted another, often-overlooked
element: "The play's a lot funnier than I remember," he said. "Everyone
knows that it's a serious play, but there's actually a lot of humor. It's not slapstick,
but everyday humor that comes out of daily life. We're trying to bring that out, but it's
natural."
Bugala and his cast have taken initiative, however, on the facets that are left ambiguous
in the script. "One thing different in our production is in the area of sound,"
said Bugala. "There's no set, so you have to fill in those blanks somehow. ... The
actors perform the sound effects live. They never leave the stage during the show."
As for the production's central, guiding principle, Bugala has honed in on a single theme.
"We're focusing on the idea that we, as humans, need to learn to live life to its
fullest every minute," he said.