Our Town (2003)

Thornton Wilder's venerable and shiver-inducing Our Town may be one of the most frequently produced plays in the American repertory, but rarely has it been graced by the likes of Paul Newman's sure hand and stellar clarity. The star was asked by the Artistic Director of the Westport County Playhouse--who just happens to be Joanne Woodward, Newman's wife--to inhabit the role of the all-seeing stage manager in a live production of the show (which subsequently played Broadway). As evocatively re-staged for this video version, the New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners breathes again its crisp air and sad aura of mortality. The show is well acted, especially by vets Jayne Atkinson and Jeffrey DeMunn and heartbreaking newcomers Maggie Lacey and Ben Fox. Newman holds down the center, and his meticulous gestures and singsong voice perfectly conjure up the stage manager's detached but vaguely regretful view of life's transience. The moon is still bright over Our Town. --Robert Horton Amazon.com

"Choose An Unimportant Day"

"Choose an unimportant day" is the advice her mother-in-law gives Emily, newly arrived at the land of the dead, when she decides to return to the world briefly in Thornton Wilder's incomparable classic. Emily chooses her 12th birthday to return to earth and finds even that day all too painful and quickly leaves Grover Corners to be with the dead. This heartbreaking scene still makes my eyes burn as the play remains powerful, having survived countless high school productions. Paul Newman as the stage manager gives a brilliant performance. Some of his lines must have been poignant for him: "You wake up one day and you are 70." He is now old, over 80-- but he has aged well-- and venerable but still a fine actor and a perfect choice to head this production, originally produced at the Westport Country Playhouse and later moved to Broadway. In commentary that accompanies the play Joanne Woodward, one of the producers, said that she wanted to mount this prouction after the awful events of 9/11.

Almost anything you can say about "Our Town" will sound trite, but it is universal, timeless and about all the things that matter-- young love, marriage, old age, death, the daily routines of putting a meal on the table, the beauty of living day to day although we the living sometimes run roughshod over others with our own self-centeredness and do not look at the stars enough.

Watching this production for the second time, I was struck at how poetic Wilder's language is and how beautifully Mr. Newman delivers his lines, along with the other supporting characters as well. This production is a perfect example that less is more. There are few props and often simple piano music; but you will be convinced, for instance, that Newman is preparing ice cream sodas for Emily and George as he only goes through the motions.

If there is any theatre lover who hasn't seen "Our Town" this production would be a good way to spend a worthwhile two hours of an evening. Those who love this play, and we are many, will of course want to see it too. July 23, 2008

Our Town; If you missed it on Broadway ... .

... see it here. Newman as the Stage Manager is completely in charge, and does not succomb to sentiment. A reader, or viewer, who thinks this play is sentimental, may stand corrected, especially when dismissed by Newman at the end of the production. The staging is minimalist, as originally intended; this is about masterful actors and dialogue, and stagecraft that evokes and insinuates. Well done! February 18, 2008

Great stage production

If you can't see the real thing this production is the next best thing. Wonderful staging and acting from all the cast.. Paul Newman's performance is worth the price of the DVD on it's own. August 23, 2007

Our Town is powerful!

We bought this DVD because our daughter got the lead (Emily) in her college's presentation of it and we wanted to get an introduction to the play before we went to see it live. When we watched the movie, we were thoroughly impressed with the acting of the entire ensemble and with the quality of the production. November 9, 2006

"there is something eternal about every human being"

Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning 1938 play is one of my favorites, and this in an exquisite production of it. Paul Newman as the Stage Manager, in one of his most memorable performances, leads a superb ensemble cast. So much of this play is mime...cooking on the invisible stove, eating the imaginary breakfast...and the actors flow through the movements so easily, one almost sees the missing objects.
Wilder's play, which was inspired by Gertrude Stein's 1925 "The Making of Americans", draws one into it, with the actors sometimes talking directly to the viewer; it has a simplicity and charm that make it stay fresh even when one knows the words by heart.

The time is the early 20th century, in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, and centers on the Webb and Gibbs families, who live next door to each other, and especially Emily Webb (Maggie Lacey) and George Gibbs (Ben Fox), who fall in love with gentle glances and sweet words. Lacey and Fox are luminous, and capture the heart of this lovely play.
As their parents, Jayne Atkinson and Frank Connors are marvelous as Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, as are Jane Curtin and Jeffrey DeMunn as Charles and Myrtle Webb.

Originally produced for Connecticut's Westport County Playhouse, the show later moved to Broadway, where it garnered Paul Newman, 78 at the time, a Tony nomination.
Directed by James Naughton, this is a splendid performance of a perfect, and quite profound play; it is a keeper, and one that will make you smile, and sometimes weep, over and over again. Total running time is 120 minutes. July 17, 2004

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