OUR TOWN, AND YOURS

Thorton Wilder’s 1938 Pulitzer Prize winning play Our Town is a masterpiece, drawing on inspiration from the likes of Bertholt Brecht and traditional Chinese theatre. With touches of feminism ahead of his time, and a celebration of the connections between the everyday and the cosmic dimensions of human experience, Wilder constructed a masterpiece that changed and furthered the landscape of American theatre (and theatre in general) forever. Happily, the Lyric Stage Company of Boston’s excellent production honors that brilliance and more.

The action takes place in a small, fictional, New Hampshire town in the early 1900’s. However, this Grover’s Corners is meant to be a stand-in for any small town; in fact, we will soon see it is a metaphor for each of our own individual communities and lives. Part of what makes this play so impactful — so personal — so quickly is that it employs multiple methods of meta-theatricality, often breaking the fourth wall in new, interesting, and arresting ways. A ”Stage Manager” (confidently and tenderly played by acclaimed stage veteran Will McGarrahan) narrates and guides us through the action from start to finish, even giving the Lyric Stage’s own opening announcements. Director Courtney O’Connor takes Wilder’s innovative meta ideas here and enhances them with smart, creative touches of her own. For example, the audience is truly a part of the story from the moment we enter the theatre. During Act I, some patrons even get to sign their names in a notebook to be placed in the Grover’s Corners time capsule.

The first act sets up the daily comings and goings of the town, painting a clear portrait of each character and their place in relation to the community and to each other. The second focuses on the love and marriage of two characters as their young friendship blossoms into something much deeper as they grow up. The third act (no intermission between the second and third) deals with death, ancestors, the cycles of life, and what it means to truly be awake and alive.

Wilder’s intent was to have minimal elements like sets and props to make the whole feel more universal (less specific), and to activate the audience’s imagination (more meta devices). We are always aware we are watching a play, thus blurring the lines between reality and fiction. The lighting design by Deb Sullivan strikes this balance beautifully, as do Andrew Duncan Will’s sound design and Rachel Padula-Shufelt’s costumes. Set Designer Shelley Barish’s tree-ring scenic concept particularly excels in honoring the playwright’s vision. She describes her design as drawing “from the cycle of life– birth, life, death — each blending into the next, like the rings of a tree. Through simplicity, the set creates space for human connection to take root. It reminds us that life is not defined by things, but by the quiet, powerful moments we share — the invisible rings that connect us all.”

Indeed, Barish’s design, along with all the production elements, enhances the space, allowing the actors to fully bring the text to life. Each member of the cast—it truly is an ensemble show—deserves recognition for their superb, nuanced work. Special mention goes to Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Dan Garcia as the young couple, whose performances, moving from friendship to the confusion, awkwardness, and thrill of first love, are a masterclass in the subtle art of acting. The emotional impact on the audience is heightened as we witness these two characters navigate the fear and grief of leaving their families to create a new union and home—along with all the vulnerability, trust, and commitment that entails—and move forward through life’s days and cycles.

Lest you think this might all be too cloying, O’Connor says it best in her program note: “Far from a saccharine period piece, Our Town is a primal scream begging us to fully see, embrace, and deeply honor the beauty and the pain in our community, our loved ones, and ourselves, in our lives in moments big and small.”

There is a reason this piece is so popular that it is estimated to be performed at least once every night somewhere in the world. It certainly packs a punch, but so beautifully that we barely see it coming. Many people are familiar with the dictum (often attributed to Einstein): “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.” Our Town guides us — sometimes gently, imperceptibly, and sometimes firmly, soberingly to choose the later. Perhaps it is for that reason that, when my husband asked what I wanted for my upcoming birthday, I chose a return visit to this production, this time with him in tow.

photos by Niles Scott Studios

Our Town
Lyric Stage Company of Boston
140 Clarendon Street in Boston
ends on October 19, 2025
for tickets, call 617.585.5678 or visit Lyric

for more shows, visit Theatre in Boston