AIN’T NUTHIN BUT A LITTLE LADDER CHATTER. Our Town makes minimal use of sets
and props.

While the Eau Claire area is teeming with theater and arts events, something special is coming our way. Students at UW-Eau Claire will be putting on a captivating take on the classic play Our Town.

Written in 1938 by American playwright Thornton Wilder, Our Town is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play and has been one of the most produced plays in the twentieth century. The story takes place in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, a seemingly mediocre small town. The story follows two families and their respective teenagers – Emily Webb and George Gibbs – as they experience moments of love, marriage, death and even eternity. On the surface, it may seem like a typical American story of struggle and triumph, but there is something unique about this production that makes it known as one of the most popular American plays.

Unlike many plays, Our Town uses a narrator (also known as the Stage Manager) to clue the audience in on the story line and other not-so-obvious elements. He stands right on stage and speaks directly to the audience as if he is a physical character, but he is not in the storyline and does not interact with other characters.

Another uncommon technique in the play is how Wilder chose to set the scene. Interestingly, he wrote Our Town to be performed without scenery and to have minimal props for a specific reason, says Richard Nimke, UWEC professor and director of the local production.

“By stripping away the scenic elements, the focus is placed on the characters and the simple events of our lives,” he says.

“We recognize the humanness of these characters as they experience the emotions that go along with daily life, love and marriage, and life and death.” – Richard Nimke, director of Our Town

With that technique, Wilder wanted people to appreciate what Nimke calls the “overlooked joys” in life and reflect on our own experiences. Keeping the scenery to a minimum also allows the play to stay relevant and relatable for the audience, whether they watched it 50 years ago, today, or years from now.

“The play speaks to our commonality as we experience the human condition and transcends any particular time and place,” Nimke says. “We recognize the humanness of these characters as they experience the emotions that go along with daily life, love and marriage, and life and death.”

Nimke appreciates that outlook and uses the minimalistic technique in his stage direction as well. But he also adds a few more touches to the Eau Claire production of the famous play, such as using projections to encompass the mood and emotions of the characters.

Where this production takes place will enhance the audience’s experience even more. Our Town will be playing in Riverside Theatre, which allows the audience to sit on three sides of the actors, making it feel like they are a part of the dialogue and the story.

Our Town will run October 18-20 and 24-28 at the Riverside Theatre in Haas Fine Arts Center.