Poignant 'Our Town' evolves as we do Cape Cod Times
Is that the definition of universal and timeless? You bet.
And director David Drake has tenderly taken this 1938 play, set it in contemporary times with cast members wearing jeans and other modern clothes, and artfully made it seem even more timeless.
We may be told that the action takes place in Grovers Corners, N.H., in 1901, 1904 and 1913, but this is no period piece. This is now. This is always. And everything that CTEK Arts' beautifully rendered production communicates about life, love, death and the importance of the little moments of a day still ring true.
Wilder wrote "Our Town" to be very obviously a play, with few sets and a "stage manager" narrator who describes the town and announces the intermissions. Drake has taken that idea a step further, by having offstage actors sit in chairs next to audience members, and have theatergoers asking the questions from index cards when Mr. Webb, the newspaper editor, starts describing Grover's Corners. Sound effects are cleverly provided by foley artist Patty DeLuca from a table in the back corner. House lights are left up for certain scenes, making the darkness more intimate when the lights become minimal for the more emotional moments.