By CLAIRE STEVENS         

The opening of the Summer Company’s production of Our Town is heralded with the sound of a clock chime signaling the significance of the passing of time and the beauty of small tasks. Walking into Duquesne University’s Genesius Theater, the audience is greeted with a minimalist set of a few chairs and tables, a glowing lamppost, and a lone bench. In keeping with the play’s central focus on human connection, the production features very few props; instead, the actors lead the audience to use their imagination to fill in the gaps as they interact throughout the show. This focus on people rather than material objects aligns directly with the importance of human relationships and the great meanings in small things that playwright Thornton Wilder sought to convey, and director Heather Ruppert skillfully implements. 

           Set on a thrust stage, the audience is immediately immersed in the story as they walk through the flower-covered trellises to their seats. The Stage Manager (Mark Yochum) sets the scene by detailing buildings and places of note in the small town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, in the early 20th century. He sits in the audience as they watch the childhoods of George Gibbs (Ryan Graves) and Emily Webb (Madeline Zabela) with their families. While literally being neighbors and set next to each other on stage, the families parallel each other in their parenting rituals, sibling squabbles, and household tasks. Both Mrs. Gibbs (Leah Klocko) and Mrs. Webb (Shannon Galligan-Stierle) yell for their children to hurry up and get ready for breakfast. At the same time, Emily tells her mother she is brighter than her brother Wally (CJ Gatsby), and George complains that his sister Rebecca (Ellie Troiani) has saved up more of her allowance than he did. As the children scurry off to school, the mothers are highlighted for their diligence in household tasks and companionship amid the duties they take on. However, they also take great pleasure in the small-town gossip, especially concerning their drunken choir director, Simon Stimpson (Travis Barkefelt).

           The Stage Manager waits for everyone to return from the brief intermission for Act 2, which is again preceded by a familiar clock chime. Three years have passed, as he explains by the gallons of water moved, mountains chipped away at, and children who were not in existence at the end of the first act now speaking full sentences. Yochum skillfully plays his character by toeing the line between being part of the show and also interacting with the audience. By playing different minor roles, breaking the fourth wall to establish important facts, and engaging the audience with humor, he successfully guides them through the story. He makes them feel like a welcome part of the families’ lives. Family dynamics come into play again as Emily and George embark on a blossoming romance, leading to their eventual marriage. The act portrays the excitement and anxiety of the young adults and their parents as they navigate this momentous life event. Mrs. Gibbs and her husband (John E. Lane Jr.) reminisce on their wedding and how they overcame struggles to live a happy life together. George and Mr. Webb (Bob Hartley) share a humorous moment where Mr. Webb tells him to never ask for advice on personal matters and instead rambles on about raising chickens. While Emily’s anxiety before the wedding about leaving her childhood behind is a relatable feeling for us all, the reassurance of her family and the companionship of George remind us that growing up also brings the blessings of the people you share that experience with.

           In contrast to the uplifting ending of the second act, Act 3 reminds us of life’s transience and the inevitability of mortality we all face. An aisle to a grave materializes where the wedding aisle just was, and the characters sing a mournful rendition of “Amazing Grace” instead of the uplifting wedding hymns. The ghosts of Grover’s Corners reminisce about their lives and their disbelief that it all passed so quickly, while living family members pay their respects with the same thoughts. Zabela gives a particularly strong performance here, conveying Emily’s nuanced stance on life and death through her emotions, engagement with other characters, and a touching interaction with the Stage Manager. He bids the audience, “You get a good rest too. Goodnight,” as a conclusion to the immersion into the lives they have just witnessed. A final line from Simon Stimpson encapsulates the play’s message by saying, “Now you know what it was to be alive”. The audience can return to their normal lives, reminded to embrace the present, cherish every connection, and appreciate the small moments that create a meaningful existence. 

TICKETS AND DETAILS

The Summer Company’s production of Our Town at the Genesius Theater on the campus of Duquesne University has performances through June 27th, 2026. Tickets at: https://eventmanager.vbotickets.com/tickets.asp

Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews

Tags: Genesius Theater, Heather Rupert, Madeline Zabela, Mark Yochum, Our Town, Ryan Graves, The Summer Company, Thornton Wilder