Our Town

[Kelliexo90]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 5:59pm

Can people tell me about this? I just got a letter in the mail about auditions for it on Monday and again on Saturday. I found a synopsis online, and I don't think its a musical? Just any idea of what would be good for auditioning for it, or any similar shows. Thanks in advance :o)

[CaroleeFan]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 6:19pm

One of the most popular and produced plays around. Not a musical. I'd recommend a dramatic monologue that involves a lot of emotion.

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 6:25pm

i recommend a dramatic monologue as well. and id recommend reading this play even if you dont get cast (but im sure youll do great and hopefully wont have to worry about that )

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 6:33pm

Yes, it's a play about a town with three acts in three different stages. I was in a production of this. Defenitely do a dramatic monologue, since casting will depend entirely on your acting.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 7:25pm

It's a boring read, but an amazing play. There are three versions that I know of where you can view the production. One is the recent 2003 PBS version, the 1989 version and the 1977 version. I have seen all of them available at the library.

[bially082]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 7:52pm

My University is doing a production of this. It opened last night. I'm leaving in like 10 mins. I can tell you what I think when I get back.

[broadway86]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 9:07pm

Ah, my favorite play. I'm directing a production of this, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

[Over_the_Moon]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 9:37pm

Amazingly amazing and through provoking if done well, amazingly boring if done sub-par.

Biggest part is the stage manager who basically narrates the entire show, and pops into the story every now and then. Leads are Emily and George, who are young in the first act, but age as the show goes on. Their parents, Mr. & Mrs. Webb and Mr. & Mrs. Gibbs are also large parts.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 10:54pm

::EDIT::

The musical URINETOWN is done in a similar manner to OUR TOWN. They both use a narrator (Officer Lockstock/The Stage Manager)who breaks the 4th wall when describing the town but also in talking directly to the audience. They have a sparse set. Our Town is one of the shows that Urinetown usues to parody. So take a look at Urinetown to maybe get a broader vision and to possibly blossom your own interpretation of Our Town.

Good luck at the auditions!
Updated On: 11/12/05 at 10:54 PM

[dramatothemax]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 1:17am

I dont think Urinetown is based on Our Town at all. But like everyone else said...it's boring just to read it, but performed it's great. dramatic is good, but even if it's not dramatic, just emotional would be fine. everyone will end up doing a dramatic monologue, so do something that suits the emotional level, but isn't what everyone else is performing.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 3:05am

Wow, Urinetown based on Our Town? I've never heard of that, and honestly, I don't see the connection at all. I've been in a production (yes, I'll admit, a high school production) of Our Town. It's a beautiful play. I got to be Mr. Webb, whom I believe to be the comic relief of the play (chickens!). But yes, it's entirely dramatic, poignant, wonderful. I highly recommend reading it. I didn't think it was a boring read at all. Well, I probably skimmed through the Stage Manager's speeches the first time I read it, haha.

~Steven

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 7:57am

My all-time favorite play. I was privileged to see the 1989 production with Eric Stoltz and Penelope Ann Miller. I also saw Helen Hunt as Emily and Don Ameche towards the end of the run. I even managed to see this production 3 times during it's very limited run. Such a beautiful, beautiful play that has always brought me to tears. Just thinking about it gives me chills.

Updated On: 11/12/05 at 07:57 AM

[Jon]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 12:46pm

Gee - it used to be required reading in Jr. High English class.

Knowing it's a hard show to read, my junior high school English teacher had us do a staged reading of the play. We were divided into three groups. Each group worked on one of the acts - rehearsing it on Monday and Tuesday in class. Then on Wednesday, the Act 1 group performed, Act 2 on Thursday, Act 3 on Friday.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 12:53pm

Yeah, it was required for me in high school. And when we put on the production, it was required for all juniors to go see it for their English class. I probably would have read the play anyway since it's a classic.

~Steven

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 1:01pm

One of the best American plays ever written.

It won the Pulitzer Prize back in 1938 for its author Thornton Wilder. It was a landmark production on Broadway in its day using no stage props or scenery to tell the story. It invites the audience to use its own imagination to help tell the story. How daring!

...and it holds up FAR better than most plays half its age.

Updated On: 11/12/05 at 01:01 PM

[Katurian2]

Posted: 12/14/05 at 6:23pm

bumpity bump- My school is currently doing a production of this. I can't decide whether or not to audition. I can't think of a dramatic enough monolouge to use. I am new to my school, the director deson't know me very well, and I really need to knock their socks off. Any suggestions?

[TheatreDiva612]

Posted: 12/14/05 at 6:25pm

Maybe something from Tell Me That You Love Me Junie Moon, or Last Summer by Eleanor Perry.... I love this show... It's kind of boring to just read it, but it is amazing to actually watch. My sister was Emily and Pat Hingle was the Narrator.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 12/14/05 at 6:30pm

Really? I've never read it, heard of it, but I got about 8 pages in and just gave up. I'm glad to hear it's better onstage. Thanks for the suggestions! I will check them out.

[HighlyUnrealistic]

Posted: 12/14/05 at 7:51pm

I think it's a pretty boring show-even onstage to me, up until the last act, which is beautiful.

[nolatheatre]

Posted: 12/14/05 at 7:57pm

Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones were supposed to do a musical version of Our Town.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/14/05 at 9:01pm

There was a musical version of "Our Town" written for live television.

I believe it starred Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint as the leads (but I don't know whether or not they sang a note)... and Frank Sinatra was the stage manager.

I've heard the title song (on a Frank CD, which was very nice), and Frank's opening song from the third section, called "Love and Marriage" became a huge hit.

(Married With Children, anyone? Betcha didn't know that's where the song came from.)

Updated On: 12/14/05 at 09:01 PM