Summer Theatre revisits "Our Town"

In celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, ESU Summer Theatre kicks off the 2004 season with a production that was performed during the first season of Summer Theatre in 1955.

Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” tells the story of ordinary people living in the fictional Grover’s Corner during the early Twentieth Century. It first appeared on Broadway in 1938. Wilder won a Pulitzer Prize later that year for his play.

The play focuses on the lives of George Gibbs, played by Gabe Templin of El Dorado, and Emily Webb, played by Elizabeth Sullivan of Topeka. Josh Christoffersen of Leavenworth plays the omnipresent Stage Manager, who serves as a link between the actors and the audience, giving vital information and playing various parts during the production.

"'Our Town' is one of America's more beloved and enduring plays that examines the lives, loves, heartaches and dreams of people living in a small town in New Hampshire,” said director Jim Ryan. “Wilder reminds us that the beauty of life does not necessarily present itself in dramatic events, but rather in the quiet and subtle gentleness of the unfolding of time."

"Our Town" opens Wednesday, June 9, at 8 p.m. in the Karl C. Bruder Theater of King Hall. Performances run through Saturday at 8 p.m. each night.

Tickets are $8 for the general public; $7 for senior citizens (60 and over) and $5 for students and youth. Reservations are available through the King Hall Box Office at (620) 342-5374. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and one hour before each performance.

ESU Summer Theatre will perform a new play every two weeks throughout the summer. Upcoming productions include "The Odd Couple" June 23-26, "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" July 7-10, and "The Fantasticks" July 21-24.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>