In 1938, Thornton Wilder won the Pulitzer Prize for Our Town, his chronicle of life in the fictional small town of Grover’s Corners. On July 9, The Stissing Center and director Patrick Trettenero will present a staged reading of the classic, featuring dozens of local residents, as part of this year’s bicentennial celebrations in Pine Plains.
The play, which opens in the year 1901 and spans a 12-year period, follows two childhood friends, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, as they grow up, fall in love and marry. When Emily dies in childbirth, she is allowed to revisit one day in her life. Playing the couple are two recent alumni of Stissing Mountain high school — Devin Hay, who went on to study at Bard, and Chloe Baden, who starred as Donna in the high school’s production of Mamma Mia! and graduated last month.
With its universal themes about the meaning of life and death, Our Town has been performed all over the world. Brett Bernardini, the executive director of The Stissing Center, believes the three-act story – known for its nearly bare stage design — has special meaning in a small town like Pine Plains.
“Our Town is a signature of what living in rural America is like: beautiful and challenging and simple and complex all at once,” he said. “The town is not the buildings or the place – it’s the people.”
Greg Locker, a Stissing Mountain graduate who now teaches there and directs the students’ annual play, agreed that the play “speaks to some timeless ideas, beginning with the daily life of people.” Locker, who plays Mr. Webb, Emily’s father, said that while he finds some of Wilder’s language and ideas to be old-fashioned, much of it “still fits with a rural area” like Pine Plains.
Jeanine Sisco, who performs as Mrs. Gibbs, the mother of George, also feels the play is a faithful reflection of life in a small town. “It’s endearing – everyone knows everyone else and looks out for each other,” Cisco said. “They know one another’s trials and tribulations in a caring way, not an intrusive way.”
Martine King plays Mrs. Soames – the town gossip, who spreads news of the choirmaster’s apparent drinking problem. King said the characters are sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, and always deeply relatable: “There are people in Pine Plains who get married right out of school, and people who’ve lost kids young.”
King noted a line from the Stage Manager – portrayed by local lawmaker Gregg Pulver – in which he describes the layout of the fictional town, pointing out the Methodist Church, the store and the school. As the Stage Manager speaks, King said, “you picture the ones here.”
Director Trettenero, who calls Our Town “one of the most enduring plays of the 20th century,” drew parallels between Grover’s Corners and Pine Plains. “There’s a significant mountain in the town,” he said. “The number of people is similar. Most of the people in the play are farmers.”
Casting for the many male roles was a challenge, said Trettenero, who was intent on finding participants who were either raised in Pine Plains or who work or live in the town full-time. In the end, the actors are almost all current residents. Appropriately, the sole exception, Nolan Harp – who was raised in Pine Plains but now lives elsewhere – plays a man who returns to Grover’s Corners for his cousin’s funeral. He has a meaningful scene with a cemetery worker about what it’s like to come back home.
Trettenero said it’s been fun to see both the cast and people in town get excited as the performance date nears. “The play has all these layers and relevance to modern life,” he said. “Even though we may be divided, we have more in common than what separates us, and this play brings that home.”
Many of the actors agree. Locker predicted “good energy” at the performance. Jim Petrie, who will provide musical accompaniment, said, “People in town will be able to relate. They’ll feel something.”
For her part, Cisco said rehearsals have been “very relaxed.” She added, “Patrick wants everyone to have a good time, and it’s great to get to know people you don’t know.”
Our Town stars Amy Benack-Baden, Chloe Baden, Logan Cavey, Ray Christiansen, Mark DeGarmo, Scott Dell’Amore, Thayer Durell, Lee Griffin, Sarah Griffin, Nolan Harpp, Devin Hay, George Keeler, Martine King, Erin Krom, Greg Locker, Max McBride, Dave Owens, Raine Owens, Jim Petrie, Gregg Pulver, Jeanine Sisco, Marie Stewart and Matt Zick. It will be performed at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 9 at The Stissing Center, at 2950 Church Street in Pine Plains. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the door.