By Diego Duarte
This past March, Advanced Theatre delivered a stellar rendition of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Our Town is a 1938 drama revolving around the town of Grover’s Corners from the years of 1901-1913. It deals with themes of loss, the value of enjoying the little time in life one has, and the importance of making a legacy that can echo throughout the ages.
The story revolves around the character of George Gibb, played by senior Luke Bedsole, as he is growing up and pursuing a relationship, and eventual marriage, to Emily Webb, played by junior and ASB member Emma Folsom. On introspection, Luke Bedsole remarked that playing such a role got him to “experience a new kind of part that I never had to play before.”
Emma Folsom spoke on how “it was very character building,” and taught her a lot about herself, others, and life in general. Her decision to play a lead role made her leave her comfort zone and take on the challenges that come with such a responsibility. Ultimately, this strengthened her own self-confidence and her walk with the Lord as He guided her through certain circumstances in this process.
A unique part of the play was that it was told through the lens of the Stage Manager (Played by Nora Benitez). Acting as both an omniscient narrator and someone who interacts with the story, she brings an insightful view of the characters and establishes a meaningful link between the play and the audience.
Though it is a secular play, when reflecting on the themes and messaging of it, she was reminded how “things are so temporary and the only thing that we have that is our rock is the Lord… Other things that are certain to you can vanish in a second. The only thing that I’m sure of now is that God loves me and that He sent down His Son down and died for us. God’s truth and His unchanging character is what I really learned”.
Similarly, Josh Hitchcock, who played Charles Webb, Emily Webb’s father, said that the play “grew my depth of emotion as an actor a lot because it was a much more intimate show than what I’m used to.” The play’s message of “paying attention to the little things in life” really resonated with him as well.
Mrs. Johnson, the play’s director, noted that the play really challenged the Advanced Theatre students in two main areas. One of these was the pantomiming they had to do for all the scenes since the play was written with no props. Secondly, they had no microphones which forced them to have more control of their voice. Mrs. Johnson previously taught drama at CHS from 2004-2018 and became the director for “Our Town” after the current one, Mrs. Codding, took time off due to her recent pregnancy. It was great to see her back in action and really bring the play to life.
Micah Strode, who was Dr. Gibbs, the father of George Gibbs, commented on how pantomiming was a “good skill that every actor should learn” because “it teaches you not to do acting with all the big and flashy stuff and work on the things you have complete control over.”
When reflecting on her favorite times during the production of the play, Amaya Horton shared that opening night was “full of so many emotions but wrapped up the show and school year in a great way.” Josh Hitchcock said that one of his was “the secret pal gift exchange, it was so exciting to see what everyone got from their secret pal!” This is one of many traditions the drama department uses to build community among the students.
Once again, the actors and actresses in Advanced Drama did an amazing job in this semester’s play, and as most of them are still growing and seeking to do more shows as actors, it will be great to see what the future has in store for them!
Our Town: Embracing Legacy and Life
