Cultural Arts Review

Abby Murray-Nikkel

Mr. Haning

Varsity Chorus 1b

May 27, 2011

Our Town

Our Local Cape Fear Regional Theatre put on the play Our Town at Fayetteville State University this Spring. Our Town showed what life was like for Americans in the early twentieth century. It gave the audience thinking about love, fear, happiness, and life. It told the story of families living in a small town in New Hampshire in 1901.

The first act gave us a look into what daily life was like for the people of this town. The way they interacted was very typical of an American family from this time period. The fathers were the head of the house, the mothers were in charge of keeping up the house and frequently went to church, and the children went to school every day, not usually interacting with children of the other gender. The families did not communicate very well, and neither did the children with one another.

The second act was about love and marriage. The daughter of one family, Emily Webb, and the son of their neighbors, George Gibbs, fell in love. They had both been fond of one another for a time but had not admitted to it. They decided to get married, and soon left home. On the day of their wedding, they were both afraid of being away from their families and out on their own. This spoke to me because I will soon be out on my own just like them. They were scared but they trusted each other, and trusted that they could handle whatever would come. This was a very touching scene that I think could help many people get over similar fears.

The third act was about waiting for something eternal. It was sad but also very thought provoking. It took place in a cemetery. Several characters had died, and Emily Webb arrived in the place of the dead as well. The others who had died were happy to see her, but for Emily it was as if she did not know what to feel. She was happy to see her loved ones who had gone, but they she realized that she left George. Seeing her grief in this realization was difficult to watch. This made me think about how I should appreciate my loved ones more while I have time with them, because we never know what will happen in the future.

Overall, the quality of the performance of Our Town was impressive. The show was very well put together, and I enjoyed the many lessons about life that it expressed.