EVENTS CALENDAR
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September 26, 27, October 2, 3, 4
The Skin of Our Teeth at The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
Shakespeare '70, a local repertory company in residence at TCNJ, will present Wilder's other Pulitzer Prize-winning play in conjunction with "Wilder in the Twenty-first Century," the first international Thornton Wilder conference. For more info and tickets, click here.
October 3 - 5 & 9 - 11
Our Town at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
OUR TOWN opens the 08-09 season of Vanderbilt University Theatre in Nashville,TN. Directed by Terryl Hallquist, this is the first production of the play ever produced on the Vanderbilt campus. Playing at Neely Auditorium. For more info and tickets, click here.
September 10 – October 5
The Matchmaker at CENTERSTAGE, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE Theater will mount a production of The Matchmaker, the only one of Thornton Wilder’s plays that the theater has not previously staged. Our own TWS Honorary Director, Irene Lewis, directs, with distinguished Washington actor Ed Gero playing Yonkers merchant Horace Vandergelder. For more info and tickets, click here.
June 4 – October 11
Our Town at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR
Directed by Cha Yew in repertory; this is a historic production: the first modern play ever mounted on the festival’s famed outdoor stage. For more info and tickets, click here.
July 9 – 19, 2008
THEOPHILUS NORTH at Winnipesaukee Playhouse, Laconia, NH
The stage adaptation of Thornton Wilder's last novel makes its New Hampshire debut. For more info and tickets, click here.
June 27 and June 29, 2008
Our Town Opera at Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City in Kansas City, MO.
Our Town is a three-act opera by composer Ned Rorem and librettist J.D. McClatchy. This new American opera, based on Thornton Wilder’s classic play, takes us to small town America. As the playwright once wrote: “The central theme of the play is the relationship between the countless unimportant details of our daily life, on one hand, and the great perspective of time, social history and current religious ideas, on the other.”
Ned Rorem is one of the most beloved modern American composers for the human voice. With varied, attractive and dramatic music, he maintains the feel of the original production. Originally premiering in 2006, Rorem composed Our Town with the permission of Tappan Wilder, nephew of Thornton Wilder, and Literary Executor of the Estate.
Artistic director, Andy Anderson, will be conducting and Rick Truman will direct the production. Talented soloists include Adam Duncan, Jed Schneider and Megan King. Prepare to sit back and let the beautiful music and emotions wash over you, as they unfold on stage.
Friday, June 27 - 8 pm (Opera Talk - 7 pm)/Sunday, June 29 - 2 pm (Opera Talk - 1 pm)Folly Theater. For more information, or if you would like an interview with the directors or singers, please contact Nancy King at 913-568-7015.
Tickets available from the Central Ticket Office 816-235-6222 or visit the Civic Opera Theater website at www.kccivicopera.org
June 13, 15, 19, 21
Our Town Opera at Skylark Opera in St. Paul, Minnesota
Skylark Opera will be doing Ned Rorem's opera Our Town as part of its summer festival. This is a fully staged production and will be the Upper Midwest professional premiere of the work. Specific dates and times are as follows: Friday, June 13, 8 p.m. & Sunday, June 15, at 3 p.m.; Thursday, June 19, at 8 p.m. & Saturday, June 21, at 8 p.m. Performances at E.M. Pearson Theater on the Concordia University campus (312 N. Hamline, St. Paul). For more information, go to www.skylarkopera.org.
April 23, 25, & 27, 2008
Our Town Opera at Julliard School in New York City
Julliard School performs the NYC premiere April, 23 & 25 at 8 p.m. and April 27 at 2 p.m. in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, Anne Manson conducts. Tickets are $20, available beginning 3/19 at the Juilliard Box Office. CenterCharge: (212) 721-6500. Half-price tickets available for students and seniors; TDF accepted. Only at the Box Office. For more info, go to http://www.juilliard.edu/asp/calendar/event1.php?intEvID=-1999910564
February 25, 20087-March 2, 2008
Our Town: Opera and Play
Catholic University President's Festival of the Arts presents ... WILDER AND WILDER (Thornton that is ... ) is the title of this year's festival being organized by the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music. The festival will feature the Northeast U.S. premiere of Ned Rorem’s opera Our Town, conducted by Murry Sidlin, the music school's dean. Thornton Wilder's classic American play, Our Town, will be performed, as well. The opera will be performed on Thursday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m., and the play on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m., all in Hartke Theatre. A series of lectures, discussions and films will lead up to these performances, featuring experts such as the opera's composer, Ned Rorem; its librettist, poet J. D. McClatchy; the executor of the Wilder archives at Yale University, Tappan Wilder; art historian Helen Langa; and CUA English professor and Wilder scholar Christopher Wheatley. Among the events that will take place during the week leading up to the performances will be the premiere of opera versions of several of Thornton Wilder’s three-minute plays and the reading of his plays with original incidental music — in each case the music will be composed by CUA students. For information, directions and to charge tickets call: 202-319-5416.
The Second Amos Wilder Lecture
a lecture by
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
Franz Wright
Author of God's Silence (2006), Walking to Martha's Vineyard (2005),
The Beforelife (2002), and ILL Lit: New and Selected Poems (1998)
and translator of The Unknown Rilke (1991)
Thursday, November 1, 2007, 6:00pm
Boston University School of Management
595 Commonwealth Avenue, Trustees Ballroom (9th floor)
Enter at 1 Sherborn Street.
Wright will explore the idea of language as sacrament in the Christian scriptures, as well as the poetic forms used by Jesus in his teaching. He will also discuss the possibility of religious poetry in our own unpropitious time.
The lecture will be followed by a reception. This event is free and open to the public.
This event is possible thanks to the generosity of the Wilder family.
For additional information, please click here or contact Program Coordinator Cristine Hutchison-Jones at 617-358-1754 or crissy@bu.edu.
October 25 & 26, 2007
The Bridge of San Luis Rey, the Opera in Amherst, MA.
Old Deerfield Productions and Commonwealth Opera of Western Mass.
Present a workshop performance of The Bridge of San Luis Rey,
a new folk opera by Paula M. Kimper based on the novel by Thornton Wilder.
Stage directed by Linda McInerney, music directed by Jane Hanson.
Thursday and Friday Oct. 25 & 26, 2007 at 8:00 pm
at the Eric Carle Museum of Picturebook Art
125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002
Was it an accident? Or part of a plan? When five people are suddenly killed in the collapse of a bridge, one witness devotes his life to studying the victims in an effort to uncover the hidden intentions of God.
Ticket prices: $18 general admission and $15 student/senior
For tickets call the Northampton Box Office at:
1.800.the.tick or visit www.nbotickets.com
"...emotional and evocative...the overall effect was spellbinding."
-Danbury NewsTimes
September 12 - October 7, 2007
Theophilus North at People's Light & Theatre Company in Malvern, PA.
Thornton Wilder's last novel comes to life onstage in this adaptation by Matthew Burnett. Directed by Abigail Adams with an all-star cast that includes favorite People's Light company members. Address: 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, Pennsylvania. Call 610.644.3500 or visit www.peopleslight.org. Tickets start at $29. Special group discounts available for parties of 10 or more. For Group tickets, call 610.647.1900, ext. 134 or group@peopleslight.org.
September 7-October 7 2007
Our Town at the Hartford Stage Company in CT.
OUR TOWN, starring the legendary Hal Holbrook as the Stage Manager, directed by Gregory Boyd, through October 7th, at Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford, CT. Box Office: 860.527.5151 or go to www.hartfordstage.org.
September 11-September 30, 2007
Our Town at the Two Rivers Theater Company in Red Bank, NJ.
See this unique interpretation of Wilder's classic in which seven actors play the entire town with the aid of poetic, evocative puppets. 21 Bridge Avenue Red Bank, NJ 07701. For tickets, call 732.345.1400 or go to http://www.trtc.org/index.html.
June 14-July 1, 2007
Theophilus North at The Dorset Theatre Festival
Matthew Burnett's stage adaptation of Wilder’s last novel is directed once again by Carl Forsman, whose Keen Company won a NYC Drama Desk Award for the play in 2006, at The Dorset Theatre Festival in Dorset, Vermont. Society members receive a special $30/ticket price (call 802-867-5777 for tickets).
July 18-August 12, 2007
Theophilus North at TheatreWorks
This production is by the TheatreWorks company in Palo, Alto, California. Call 650-463-1960 for tickets.
Palo Alto, CA, July 18-August 12 (650-463-1960)Palo Alto, CA, July
June 25-August 30, 2007
The Matchmaker at The Utah Shakespeare Festival
The Matchmaker in repertory at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cedar City, Utah. Call 800-752-9849 for tickets.
April 28-June 2, 2007
The Skin of Our Teeth at The Intiman Theatre
Wilder’s other Pulitzer Prize-winning drama plays at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle, WA. Directed by Bartlett Sher. Click here for more info.
April 10-28, 2007
All About Us at The Westport Country Playhouse
All About Us,a musical adaptation of Wilder’s other Pulitzer Prize-winning play, has its premiere in Westport, Connecticut. Music and lyrics are by John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret and Chicago) and the book is by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof). Click here for more info.
January 26-March 4, 2007
Our Town at The Trinity Repertory Company
Our Town directed by Brian McEleney at Trinity Rep in Providence, Rhode Island. For tickets and more information, click here.
February 2, 4, 2007
Our Town Opera at The North Carolina School of the Arts
The Our Town Opera will make its Southeastern premiere at 8 p.m. Feb. 2 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 at NCSA’s Stevens Center, 405 West Fourth St., downtown Winston-Salem. Admission is charged; call the NCSA Box Office at 336-721-1945 for reservations. For more information, click here.
November 7-December 31, 2006
The Beaux' Stratagem at The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C.
The Beaux’ Stratagem, as adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig from George Farquhar’s 1707 comedy, will have its world premiere on November 13, 2006 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C., directed by Michael Kahn. Address: 450 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004-2207. For tickets go to http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/ or call the Box Office: 202-547-1122 or Toll-free: 877-487-8849.
September 5-October 14 2006
Theophilus North by The Keen Theatre Company in Manhattan
Matthew Burnett's adaptation of Thornton Wilder's last novel plays Tues at 7PM, Wed-Sat at 8PM, and Sun at 2 PM. at The Clurman Theatre, 410 W 42 St. New York City. For tickets go to www.ticketcentral.com or call 212-279-4200.
June 10- Oct. 8, 2006 in repertoire
The Matchmaker at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI
For more information click here.
July 29, 31 & August 2, 2006
Our Town Opera at The Wheeler Opera House, in Aspen, CO
A special highlight of the Aspen Music Festival and School's 2006 season is the eagerly awaited Western U.S. premiere of Ned Rorem’s opera Our Town, an AMFS co-commission performed by the students of the Aspen Opera Theater Center. Conducted by AMFS Music Director David Zinman and directed by Edward Berkeley.
For more information click here.
July 1, 5, 9, 2006
Our Town Opera at Lake George Opera, Spa Little Theater Saratoga Springs, NY
Featuring: Music by Ned Rorem Words by J. D. McClatchy Conductor - Mark D. Flint
Director - Nelson Sheeley Scenic Design - Garett E. Wilson. Sung in English with projected English titles.
For more information click here.
June 16, 17, 23 & 24
Our Town at Wakefield Repertory Theatre in Wakefield, Massachusetts
Directed by Edward Eaton, Stage Managed by Martin Fucio, Produced by Teresa Deane & Denise DiTonno, Tech Directed by Rob MacRobbie Featuring: Neil Armstrong Massa, Paul D’Onofrio, Hannah Deane, Melissa Fleishman, Linda Fund, Rachel Fund, Carolyne Gallo, Hallyann Gifford, Conor Harrington, Joseph Harrington, Bernie Hutchens, Katie Pond, Al Reid, David Ross, Chip Sheeran & Irene Szewczuk. Wakefield-Lynnfield United Methodist Church, 273 Vernon St, Wakefield, MA. Tickets are $15.00 Adult, $13.00 senior/student For tickets and more information, visit our website or call 781-245-1173.
For more information click here.
June 11-July 9, 2006
The Matchmaker at Triad Stage in Greensboro, NC
For more information click here.
May 18 - 28, 2006
Our Town at StageWorks in the Bushnell Building in Springfield, OH
StageWorks, Springfield's new theatre company, begins the first in a series of 'American Classics' with Thornton Wilder's Our Town.
For more information click here.
March 20 , 2006
Albee, Oates, Seldes, Mann, and McClatchy Headline Thornton Wilder Society Event at The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ…“The Thornton Wilder Society at TCNJ: A Celebration” will take place in Ewing, NJ, at The College of New Jersey’s Music Building Concert Hall on Monday, March 20, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The celebration begins with a reading from Wilder's works by Tony-award winning actress Marian Seldes, who will be joined for a panel discussion on Wilder by playwright Edward Albee, three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama; novelist Joyce Carol Oates, winner of the National Book Award for fiction; and director Emily Mann, winner of the Obie Award for drama and direction. The discussion will be moderated by poet J.D. McClatchy, editor of The Yale Review and librettist of the Our Town opera, which had its world premiere on February 24. A reception with light refreshments will follow the panel discussion. For more information call (609) 771-2298. For directions to The College of New Jersey click here. For a campus map click here.
February 24, 2006
World Premiere of OUR TOWN opera at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Composed by Pulitzer-prize winning Ned Rorem, libretto by J.D. McClatchy, member of the Wilder Society Board of Directors. Conducted by David Effron and stage managed by Vincent Liotta. The opera will also be the center piece for a week-long celebration of opera and Thornton Wilder with additional performances on February 25 and March 3-4. For more information, click here.
February 17-March 12, 2006
OUR TOWN in Wilder's Town: Madison, Wisconsin
The Madison (Wisconsin) Repertory Theatre production of Our Town stars Andre de Shields as the Stage Manager. Directed by Richard Corley, the show will mark the opening of The Playhouse, Madison Repertory Theatre's permanent home in the Overture Center for the Arts. Wilder was born in Madison in 1897. Special events are being planned.
December 8-18
The Long Christmas Dinner and A New York Christmas Carol now Off-Broadway
"The double bill, presented by the New York Theatre Experiment, begins with a thoughtful Thornton Wilder drama about life, love and death. It finishes with Dickens' classic set in New York City, where chic-creep fashionista Eloise Scrooge makes everyone as miserable as she is. 'We wanted to juxtapose two pieces with different tones,' says producer Allyson Morgan. 'It's a sort of Yin-Yang Yule.'" Blue Heron Arts Center, 123 E. 24th St. New York City. All Tickets: $15.
For tickets visit www.theatermania.com or call 212-352-3101.
September 14, 2005
Our Town Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St, Berkeley CA
Opening night September 14th. Box Office open Noon-7, Tues-Sun
Visit http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2005-08-31/culture/theater2.html for more information, or http://www.berkeleyrep.org/HTML/AtTheRep/special.html#OTtix for tickets.
September 8, 2005
Excerpts from "The Bridge of San Luis Rey", Christ and St Stephen's Church, NYC
Excerpts from Paula Kimper's opera-in-progress, "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." Thursday, September 8, 2005, 1:00 pm, Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 120 West 69th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam, New York City. Presented by David S. McIntosh for the students of Capgemini. http://www.patienceandsarah.com for more information.
June 22, 2005
Infancy (Wilder one-act), National Arts Club, New York, NY
REPEAT PERFORMANCE of Wilder's Infancy and August Wilson's Testimonies by Food for Thought Productions. 12:30-2:30 PM Lunch included. Call 212-362-2560 for reservations. Visit foodforthoughtproductions.com for more information.
May 13-15, 20-22, 2005
Our Town Stage 62, Andrew Carnegie Library, Carnegie, PA
Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 and Sunday afternoons at 2:00. Visit www.stage62.com/Stage62/event.htm for more information.
May 2, 2005
A Reading of The Beaux Stratagem, The Shakespeare Theatre, Washington DC
On May 2, Washington's Shakespeare Theatre's Rediscovery Series will present a reading of The Beaux Stratagem, an 18th century comedy by George Farquhar, adapted by Thornton Wilder, though left unfinished. Ken Ludwig, the 21st century's master of farce, has completed Wilder's adaptation, which is now ready for production.
The reading on May 2nd is a grand event, the debut of Farquhar, Wilder and Ludwig as a comic team. Please join us.
The reading is free to the public, but reservations are required. Reserve your seats online or by calling 202-547-1122, option 4.
We hope to see lots of Wilder Society members there, joining us in the high comic moments Wilder, Ludwig and Farquhar offer us.
Visit www.shakespearedc.org/rediscovery.html for more information.
April 21-23, & 28-30, 2005
The Skin of Our Teeth, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD
Edith Mortenson Center, Main Theatre, Augustana College. Directed by Julia Bennett. Tickets may be reserved online after April 1. Visit www.augie.edu or contact Julia Bennett for more information.
April 19-20, 2005
Bridge of San Luis Rey (Opera), American Opera Projects, Brooklyn, NY
Excerpts from Paula Kimper's opera "The Bridge of San Luis Rey". American Opera Projects, 138 South Oxford St, Brooklyn, NY. Call 718-398-4024 for reservations. Visit www.operaprojects.org for more information.
April 9-24, 2005
Statewide Delaware Tour of Our Town, Delaware
The First State Children's Theater will present matinee and evening performances of "Our Town" on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the month of April at libraries and theaters in Northern and Southern Delaware. The First State Children's Theater, Delaware's second, resident, professional theater, is committed to presenting state-wide productions of classic plays and adaptations of classic literature for all generations, with a special emphasis on young audiences and families. Visit www.firststatechildrenstheater.com for more information.
April 8-10, & 15-17, 2005
Our Town, Baltimore, MD
Infinity Theatrical Productions. Directed by Tim Dunn. Starring Charles Taylor (Stage Manager), Matt Lambert (George Gibbs), and Amberly Strucko (Emily Webb). For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 410-491-1472. Visit www.infinitytheatrical.com for more information.
Wed April 6, 2005
Annual Thornton Wilder Writing Awards, Hamden Library, Hamden CT
It's time again for the annual Thornton Wilder Writing Competition. Seventy-five students from 16 different area schools have entered to win a $400 first prize each for poetry and prose, and second prizes of $200. The awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday evening, April 6, 2005 in the Thornton Wilder auditorium. The public is invited to join the festivities, during which the winning entries will be read and prizes will be awarded to the students. Refreshments will be served in the Senior Center after the ceremony.
This is the 17th year of honoring talented Connecticut high school students for their creative writing. The awards were established by the Friends of the Hamden Library to honor writer and playwright Thornton Wilder, who resided in Hamden from 1929 until his death in 1975. The house he lived in on Deepwood Drive was built with proceeds from his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927). He was also awarded a Pulitzer Prize for two plays, Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our Teeth (1943). Another play, The Merchant of Yonkers (1939), which he rewrote as The Matchmaker, became the basis for the popular musical Hello, Dolly.
For more information and a link to last year's winners, visit: hamdenlibrary.org or call Betty Mettler, 203-288-0556.
March 21, 2005
Infancy, a Wilder one-act, National Arts Club, New York, NY
Dramatic readings of "Testimonies" by August Wilson and "Infancy" by Thornton Wilder, followed by Q&A. Lunch at 12:30 PM, readings at 1:30 PM. Contact: Susan Charlotte, 212-362-2560 for more information. Visit Food for Thought Productions.
February 18 and 20, 2005
Our Town, Hamilton Players, Hamilton United Methodist Church, Hamilton TN
"Do you human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" "No--Saints and poets maybe. They do some." The Hamilton Players present Our Town free of charge as part of their continuing series of productions of Pulitzer Prize-winners. Perhaps no play has ever more eloquently stated the case for being in the moment and seeing the divine. February 18 at 7:30, February 20 at 6:30. Visit www.hamilton-umc.org or contact Ellen Myrick for more information.
January 14-16, 2005
The Skin of Our Teeth, Seekonk High School Drama Club, Seekonk High School, Seekonk, MA
Come see Seekonk Drama Club's production of The Skin of Our Teeth! Friday and Staurday night at 6pm and Sunday afternoon at 1pm are the show times. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 12. Contact Christine Banna, Director, for more information.
January 7-9, 14-16, 2005
The Matchmaker, Chicago Heights Drama Group, Chicago Heights, IL
Contact the Box Office at 708-755-3444 for tickets, or visit dramagroup.org/ for more information.
November 30 - December 5, 2004
The Skin of Our Teeth, Alexander Kasser Theatre, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
Montclair State University celebrates the opening of its beautiful new Kasser Theatre with an ambitious and adventurous production of The Skin of Our Teeth. Tappy Wilder will partcicpate in a post-play discussion following the 7:30 performance on Thursday, December 2. Tickets may be purchased on line at http://www.montclair.edu/pages/theatredance/index.htm.
November 18-20, 2004
The Long Christmas Dinner, Wesleyan's Theater Department Center for the Arts, Middletown, CT
A Play by Thornton Wilder
Directed by Yuriy Kordonskiy
Thursday November 18 at 8 pm
Friday November 19 at 8 pm
Saturday November 20 at 2pm and 8 pm
In Wesleyan's Patricelli '92 Theater.
General Admission is $5 and advance reservations are recommended.
With: Ari Brand, Hallie Cooper-Novack, Megan Diamondstein, Emily Dreyfuss, Mike James, Julie Mathis, Diego Ortiz, Will Pinson-Rose, Emmalee Rieglerand Eric Wdowiak.
The Long Christmas Dinner, like all of Wilder's plays deals with multiple themes. The play is astonishing in its stagecraft; it makes the same simple, focused, and spare use of stage, scenery, and costume that Wilder developed brilliantly in such other plays as Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth. In it, Wilder depicts in a non-representational way the lives of the Bayard family over a 90-year span of births, deaths, and other universal life cycles. The play was first performed in 1931 and was on Broadway as recently as 1993, featured as part of Wilder, Wilder Wilder at Circle in the Square. Paula Vogel's new play The Long Christmas Ride Home was inspired in part by this play as well as Wilder's The Happy Journey from Trenton.
Yuriy Kordonskiy holds an MFA both in acting and directing from St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts, under Lev Dodin. He has taught, performed, and directed internationally since 1989 and holds many awards including Golden Light, Best Director, Special Prize of Romanian Ministry of Culture.
Tickets for The Long Christmas Dinner may be purchased via phone or in person at the University Box Office. The box office is located on the first floor of the Davenport Campus Center (222 Church Street, Middletown, CT, 06459).
For more information about CFA performances and events, call (860) 685-3355, or visit www.wesleyan.edu/CFA.Box Office Phone: (860) 685-3355
Box Office Fax: (860) 685-3935
E-mail: boxoffice@wesleyan.edu
November 11-13, 2004
Our Town, Bayley-Ellard High School Drama Department, Madison, NJ
Local middle school students will preview this Main Stage production and talk with the cast. The public is invited to evening performances on the 12th and 13th. Contact Sara Daniels Visit Donna Marie Fico for more information.
November 11-13, 2004
Our Town, Bellow Free Academy, Fairfax VT
High School production of the classic play. Directed by Sara Daniels Visit Sara Daniels for more information.
September 24 - October 24, 2004
The Matchmaker, Ford's Theatre, Washington DC
For more information, visit http://www.fordstheatre.org.
October 7th, 2004, 6 PM to 7PM
Prologue to Our Town, Lab Theatre Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Join us prior to the preview performance of the Theatre Department's first show of the season for a lively and informative discussion of the play and its author. Our expert panelists include Ph.D. candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies Rick Tharp, UMD Distinguished Scholar Dr. Jackson Bryer, and Thornton Wilder's nephew and Literary Executor Tappan Wilder. Ticket Office: 301-405-ARTS (2747). For more information, visit http://www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
October 7th, 2004, 7:30PM
Our Town, Graduate Association of Students in Theatre, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
The 7:30PM performance of Our Town will be highlighted by a pre-show panel discussion of the play [6-7 PM] on October 7, 2004. Ticket Office: 301-405-ARTS. (2747). For more information, visit http://www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
Sunday, October 3, 2004
The Matchmaker, Post-matinee Discussion, Ford's Theatre, Washington DC
On Sunday, October 3, the Society, in collaboration with Ford's Theatre, will hold a post-matinee discussion of the play, with our own Tappan Wilder and Jackson Bryer, and members of the production talking about the play with the audience. Society members will receive a 20% discount to this performance. Members: email me at sthomas@thorntonwildersociety.org, and I will give you the code needed to obtain the discount. We look forward to seeing you there at this opening of the new and elegant Ford's Theatre and the happy event of this marvelous Wilder play. For more information, visit http://www.fordstheatre.org.
April 22 - August 29, 2004
Cedarburg Reads: Our Town, Cedarburg, WI
This "one book, one community" effort is aimed at cultivating a culture of reading and discussion by bringing people together around one great literary work. Cedarburg Reads was initiated and coordinated by Dr. Richard Cass, Chairman of the English Department at Cedarburg High School. More than a dozen local organizations and businesses - including the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, Cedarburg Cultural Center, Cedar Creek Repertory Company, Cedarburg Public Library and a wealth of civic organizations - joined forces to make the program a reality. Highlights include neihborhood book discussions, dramatic performances, photography exhibits, movies, guest speakers, and many social activities. Visit http://www.cedarburgreads.org for a complete description and calendar of events.
June 19 - July 18, 2004
Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden and Pullman Car Hiawatha, Connelly Theater, New York, NY
The Connelly Theater is at 220 E4th St. between Aves. A & B. Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 2 The talkback performance on Sunday June 20 will be at 8pm. There are no performances July 2 through July 4.
TICKETS: Tickets are $19 and can be purchased at smarttix.com or at 212-868-4444.
Special Notice to all TWS members: Thornton Wilder Society members will receive discounted tickets for the entire run. Discounted tickets are $15 and can be obtained using a code available to members through writing the TWS. The Society plans to send out a mailing to members, especially those in the NYC area, announcing the code.
TALKBACK: The talkback will be held immediately after the 8pm performance on Sunday, June 20. Tickets for that event are $19 w/ the $15 discount for Thornton Wilder SocietyTIME: The two plays will be performed without an intermission. Estimated run time is 1hr 15min. For more information, visit http://www.keencompany.org.
May 7 - June 13, 2004
The Skin of Our Teeth / Wir Sind Noch Einmal Davongekommen, Theater Ingolstadt
New Production of Wir Sind Noch Einmal Davongekommen (The Skin of Our Teeth) in German language. (translated by Hans Sahl) Director: Schirin Khodadadian; Stage Design: Carolin Mittler For more information, visit www.theater.ingolstadt.de.
March 26 - April 17, 2004
The Skin of Our Teeth, Lord Leebrick Theatre Company, Eugene, Oregon
For more information, visit http://www.lordleebrick.com.
March 1 - April 17, 2004
Waukesha County Reads The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Waukesha County Federated Library System, Waukesha, WI
A countywide reading program sponsored by the 16 public libraries in Waukesha County featuring The Bridge of San Luis Rey. The Wisconsin Humanities Council is sponsoring "A Discussion of The Bridge of San Luis Rey" led by Professor Lincoln Konkle on March 13th, 2004 at the Waukesha Public Library. "Wilder on Wilder," a presentation by Tappan Wilder will take place in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on the UW-Waukesha campus on April 4, 2004 at 2:00 P.M. http://www.wcfls.lib.wi.us/bridge.
February 27 - April 10, 2004
The Skin of Our Teeth, Young Vic Theatre Company, London SE1 8LZ
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Skin of Our Teeth was last seen in London in 1945 in a production by Laurence Olivier. Founded by Olivier in 1970, the Young Vic is one of London best loved theatres. Now in our unstable world, the day of Wilder's philosophical comedy has come again. For more information, visit www.youngvic.org.
March 25, 26, 27, 2004
Three Wilder One-Acts, Callan Theater, The Catholic University of AmericaThe Drama Department of The Catholic University of America will present Pullman Car Hiawatha, The Long Christmas Dinner and The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden. Call the Box Office at (202) 319-4000 for information, or visit us on the web at http://www.cua.edu.
February 21-28, 2004
Our Town, Bolton Little Theatre, Bolton, England
A Non-professional production of Our Town in our 60-seat studio theatre. For more information, contact: Mark Leigh.
February 28, 2004
IFP's Independent Spirit Awards, Los Angeles, CA
The film "OT/Our Town" was nominated for Best Documentary in the IFP's Independent Spirit Awards, to air live on IFC at 5:00 pm EST and rebroadcast on Bravo the same evening at 10:00 pm EST/PST. For more information, visit: IFP, IFC, or Bravo.
Jan 27 - Feb 15, 2004
The Skin of Our Teeth, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Bristol, PA
Things are getting WILDER at the Bristol Riverside Theatre. Call the Box Office at 215-785-0100 for information, or visit us on the web at www.BRTstage.org.
January 26, 2004
A Tribute to Thornton Wilder, Kaufmann Concert Hall, 92 St Y, New York, NY
Poet JD McClatchy introduces an evening devoted to playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder. With John Guare, Penelope Niven, Paula Vogel, Kurt Vonnegut, Sam Waterston and Tappan Wilder. For more information, visit www.92y.org.
December 11 - 17, 2003
The Skin of Our Teeth, Yale University School of Drama, New Haven, CT
All you need to save the human race is a couple of prehistoric pets, some apocalyptic thunderstorms, and a few Vegas-style musical extravaganzas. That’s the premise of this newest interpretation of Thornton Wilder’s 1942 Pulitzer Prize-winning classic. Shrewd, funny, and profound, the play condenses the entire human experience into the story of the overly wholesome Antrobus family (and their not-so-wholesome housekeeper), who live two thousand years in three acts. With equal parts love and cynicism, the play brilliantly asks the all-important question: Will human beings ever learn?For more information, visit www.yale.edu/drama.
Now through December 7, 2003
Our Town, Writers' Theatre, Glencoe, Illinois
A fully mounted production of Our Town which is the premier production in Writers' Theatre's new space at 325 Tudor Court Glencoe, IL 60022. For more information, visit writerstheatre.org or contact Shade Murray.
November 7 - 8 and 13 - 15 at 8:00 PM and November 9 and 16 at 3:00 PM
5xWilder: Plays from the Seven Deadly Sins Cycle, New York University’s Provincetown Playhouse, 133 MacDougal Street, New York, NY
NYU's Program in Educational Theatre will stage a rare performance of "5xWilder: Plays from the Seven Deadly Sins Cycle" between November 7 and November 16. Inspired by the sinful septet, Thornton Wilder’s plays present a study of human frailties and explore the underlying weaknesses inherent in every individual. The one-acts to be performed include "The Drunken Sisters” (Gluttony), "Cement Hands" (Avarice), "A Ringing of Doorbells" (Envy) and "The Wreck on the Five-Twenty-Five" (Sloth) along with the New York City premiere of "In Shakespeare and the Bible" (Wrath). Tickets are $10, $5 with valid student identification. New York University’s Provincetown Playhouse, 133 MacDougal Street, New York, NY. For reservations, call (212) 998-5281.
November 19 -- December 7, 2003
Our Town, LSU Department of Theatre, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Production of Wilder's Our Town, 75th Anniversary of LSU Theatre, directed by Jane Brody. For more information please visit http://www.swinepalace.org or email Bill Harbin.
November 20-23, 27-29, 2003
Our Town, The Valley Players, Almonte, Ontario, Canada
As part of our 20th anniversary year, the Valley Players is presenting Our Town for our fall play. The play will be staged in the Almonte Old Town Hall, a former Vaudeville stage that was built in the late 1800's. For ticket information please call (613) 256-9090 or visit www.angelfire.com/ma2/valleyplayers.
October 23-26, 2003
Our Town, Kline Performing Arts Center, Austin, Texas
Nearly 65 years after the original production of "Our Town," the Golden Mask Players are serving a delicious portion of everyday living with an inviting side of pantomime! Reserve your tickets now or go hungry! For more information, visit aisd.com or contact Sarah Grainer.
September 25 - October 26, 2003
Our Town, Boarshead Professional Theater, Lansing, Michigan
During the run of Wilder's extraordinary play, Boarshead Theater will pay tribute the community which it has been honored to be a part of for 38 years. Each night the spotlight will focus on a different segment of Lansing - showcasing everyone that makes Lansing a world-class community. Selected performances have been designated Community Nights. Employees, members and supporters of these groups and organizations can purchase $15 discount tickets for their evening. For tickets call (517) 484-7805. For more information, visit boarshead.orgor contact Carey Moreland.
October 22 -- 24 , 2003
Ramstage Entertainer Presents Our Town, Rancho High School, North Las Vegas, NV
As part of our school's 50th year aniversary. Thespian Troupe 2145 will be performing Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Contact Jeremiah Riesenbeck (Troupe President) for more information.
October 19, 2003
The Skin of Our Teeth, The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga, California
Wrapping up the Summer Repertory Season, The Skin of Our Teeth is being done in Rep along with King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Lysistrata 2003. "I think it's great that Los Angeles audiences are rediscovering The Skin of Our Teeth this summer," states director Ellen Geer. "Though written 60 years ago, Wilder's play still poses the question: Despite all the dangers, more human-made now than natural, can we continue to hang on 'by the skin of our teeth'?" Visit www.theatricum.com or contact Annette Reid for more information.
October 9, 2003
Paula Vogel's The Long Christmas Ride Home, Vineyard Theatre, New York, NY
New York premiere of Vogel's homage to Wilder's 2 plays Long Christmas Dinner and Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden. When the family car spins out of control after a disastrous Christmas dinner, 3 siblings hurtle into the future and confront the legacies of their shared childhood. Directed by Mark Brokaw and featuring magical puppet designs by the legendary Basil Twist. Visit vineyardtheatre.org or contact Martine Mallary for more information.
October 16th, 2003
The Matchmaker, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland
Scotland's acclaimed Pitlochry Festival Theatre company ("...one underestimates the 'theatre in the hills'at Pitlochry at one'speril..." - The [London]Times, 2002) perform Thornton's Wilder's classic comedy in rolling repertoire with five other productions throughout the summer. Contact Charlie Barron for more info, or visit the Pitlochry Festival Theatre Web site.
September 27, 2003
Our Town, Pärnu Theatre Endla, Estonia
Aleksei Borodin (Moskow) brings to the audience his price-winning view of Thornton Wilder's famous play. Visit www.endla.ee or contact rica@endla.ee for more information.
August 15, 2003
OT/Our Town. Scott Hamilton Kennedy's film OT/Our Town opens on August 15th in six cities. Distributed by Film Movement. For more information, visit filmmovement.com or contact Susannah Tidewater.
Theater Information:
- LOS ANGELES: The Laemmle Fairfax
7907 Beverly Blvd., (323) 655 4010 - NEW YORK CITY: City/Reading Cinemas Village East Cinemas
181 2nd Ave., (212) 529 6998 - SAN FRANCISCO: Roxie Cinema
3125 16th St., (415) 431 3611 - CHICAGO: Gene Siskel Film Center
164 N. State St., (312) 846 2800 - BOSTON: Coolidge Corner Theater
290 Harvard St., (617) 734 2500 - NEW ORLEANS: The Zeitgeist Theatre
- Village Voice -- 8/13/03
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Opera: The Bridge of San Luis Rey, 1794 Meetinghouse, New Salem MA
In association with AMERICAN OPERA PROJECTS, the 1794 Meetinghouse presents a Concert Reading of excerpts from "The Bridge of San Luis Rey," a new opera by PAULA M. KIMPER based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by Thornton Wilder. New Salem is 20 minutes drive from Amherst, MA; 50 minutes from Brattleboro, VT; Springfield, Northampton and Worcester, MA; and about an hour and a half from Boston. 189 seats. Marvellous acoustics. Tickets and information at 978 544 5200 or www.1794meetinghouse.org.
April 11- May 4, 2003
Our Town, Triad Stage, Greensboro, NC
Triad Stage, recently selected one of the 50 Best Regional Theatres in America by the Drama League of New York, presents a producton of Our Town as part of its 2002-2003 season. The production is directed by Artistic Director Preston Lane and features sets and costumes by Alexander Dodge (Broadway: HEDDA GABBLER). Visit triadstage.org or call the box office for more information: 336.272.0160.
April 1-May 4, 2003Theophilus North, Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, NY
Geva Theatre Center is proud to produce the World Premiere production of Theophilus North, one of the plays featured in Hibernatus Interruptus 2002. It is the spring of 1926 and young Theophilus embarks on a journey in search of all the world has to offer. When his car breaks down a mere 180 miles from home, stranding him in Newport, Rhode Island, Theophilus realizes it's not the distance that makes the adventure, but the constellation of friends that one discovers along the way. By Matthew Burnett. Based on the novel by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Mark Cuddy. Reservations by phone: (205)458-8181. Visit gevatheatre.org for more information or contact Herbert O'Rourke.
April 25, 2003
Stages: An Evening of One-acts, Cornerstone Theater: Whittier Fine Arts Building, Friends University, Wichita, KS
A culmination of the Directing/Producing class' learning, three one-acts will be presented including Thornton Wilder's Childhood and The Long Christmas Dinner. Admission is free. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.friends.edu or contact hockib@friends.edu (Bethany Hughes) for more information.
April 9, 2003
Annual Thornton Wilder Writing Awards, Hamden Library, Hamden, CT
The Thornton Wilder Writing Competition was endowed by his sister Isabel Wilder to commemorate the noted Hamden author and to inspire students to write creatively. Four prizes will be given for original creative work in prose and poetry. We accept short stories, essays, plays, film or television scripts, and selections from longer works of fiction. An award ceremony for winners and the general public will be held at 7:30 PM on the evening of April 9, 2003 at Thornton Wilder Hall, Miller Memorial Complex, 2901 Dixwell Ave., Hamden, CT. The winners will read their prize-winning entries. The Mayor of Hamden and other dignitaries will speak. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony. The event is sponsored by The Friends of the Hamden Library Contact Betty Mettler, 203-288-0556, or Louise Brundage, 203-288-5055 for more info, or visit the Hamden Library Web site.
April 4-6, 2003
Wilder, Wilder, and Wilder!, Monroe Community College Theater, Rochester, NY
A production of three one-acts: The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden, Youth, and Pullman Car Hiawatha. Contact David H. W. Smith for more information.
March 28th-29th, 2003
Our Town, Stamford High School, Stamford CT
This March, students of Stamford High School's Art Career Academy, will perform the rendition of Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town'. The piece, directed by the academy's advisor, Michael Limone, will also be performed for the annual Connecticut Drama Association Competition. The cast and crew of 'Our Town is among the best and the most highly talented of Stamford High Schools theatre students. For more information contact Alexandra DiRoma
March 8, 2003
Our Town, BJCC Theatre, Birmingham AL
All ages production by Act 3 Theatre of the Thornton Wilder classic. Tickets are $10 Adults and $8 Students. Act 3 Theatre is a young adult series of Birmingham Children's Theatre. Reservations by phone: (205)458-8181. Visit http://www.bct123.org for more information or contact Terry Schrimscher.
January 17 - March 2, 2003
Theophilus North, Arena Stage Theater, Washington DC.
Theophilus North, Wilder's last work, comes to Washington's Arena Stage. Published as a novel, the story has been newly adapted as a play for this Arena production. Set in Newport, Rhode Island, during Newport's days of high glamor, Theophilus North dramatizes the adventures of an imaginative and pragmatic young man who changes the lives of all he meets. The story is based (loosely) on Wilder's own experiences one summer in Newport.
The opening night is completely sold out. Other tickets are selling quickly. Please visit the Arena Stage web site for further information about this remarkable production. Visit their ticket office or call (202) 488-3300 and buy your tickets today.
Feb 28-Mar 9 2003
Our Town, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
"Thornton Wilder's lump-in-your-throat classic is a folksy heartbreaker that takes a cosmic view of life and death." 7:30 PM Saturdays March 1 and 8, Sunday March 2, Friday March 7. 11 AM Friday Feb 28 and Sunday March 9. Price: $3.00-10.00 For more information call, 410-481-7328, 800-551-7328 or contact Susannah Tidewater.
February 8-10, 2003
Washington celebrates Wilder with two February events to highlight Arena Stage's current production of Matt Burnett's Theophilus North. (PDF)
February 2-5, 2003
Our Town, Toronto, Canada.
Pushover Productions, a newly established amateur theatre company, is pleased to be presenting its first production, a student production of Our Town, in Toronto this February. Contact David Levine for further information, or click here for tickets.
December 4 - January 26
Our Town, Booth Theater, New York, NY.
Paul Newman is back on B'way!
Tickets for OUR TOWN are on sale at Telecharge (212-239-6200).
All 11 Equity cast members are returning, including Jane Curtin, who became available when NOISES OFF closed prematurely. Three of the non-Equity actors (Sam Craig, Rebecca, & Lady #1 - the older one) are also going to NYC. Steve Mendillo, from Long Wharf, is joining the cast as Constable Warren.
Previews begin at the Booth on Nov 22, open officially on Dec 4, and close on Jan 26 -- Paul Newman's 78th birthday.
Here is a selection of links to reviews of the current Paul Newman/James Nauton production of Our Town. Enjoy!
• Newman takes a bow (Playbill Online)
November 2-3, 22 & December 21, 2002OT/Our Town
Scott Hamilton Kennedy's film OT/Our Town, first prize winner, in the documentary category, of the 2002 L.A. film festival, provides a director's slant on the play. Screenings:
- 12/21, MOMA, New York, NY
- 11/22 at the Naked Eye documentary festival, Seattle WA
- 11/3, The City of Angels Film Festival, Directors Guild, 7920 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA (Admission is free, please come early)
- 11/2-3, San Luis Obispo Film Festival, Palm Theater, 817 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA
November 19-23, 2002
Our Town. Hanover College Theatre, Hanover, IN
Directed by Tony Penna, presented by the Hanover College Theatre. Seating is limited, entertainment is not. Contact tawang@earthlink.net or visit www.hanover.edu/theatre for more more information.
October 10 - November 9, 2002
The Skin of Our Teeth. The Stage Theatre, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver, CO
Denver Center Theatre Company opens its 2002/2003 season with Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Skin of Our Teeth, directed by Laird Williamson. Contact Dane Witherspoon for more more information.
October 17 - November 7, 2002
4 of Seven Deadly Sins. Hope Theater, Portland, OR
The Drunken Sisters, The Wreck on the 525, Ringing of Doorbells, and Cement Hands, will be presented by actors from Hope Theater's acting workshop. Contact William J. McNeil for more more information.
October 25 -- November 2, 2002
Three Wilder Plays. Norton Clapp Theatre, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
The Theater Department of the University of Puget Sound is staging a trio of Wilder's most famous one-acts: "Pullman Car Hiawatha," "The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden," and "The Long Christmas Dinner." The plays open on October 25 and run through November 2. Tickets went on sale October 1. Visit their web site or contact Greg Scheiderer for more more information.
Note: "Pullman Car Hiawatha" is currently our web site's featured work. To learn more about this wonderful play, read Jacobina Martin's discusssion. Then go see the play itself.
November 5, 2002, 7:30 pm
Jews & Christians: A New Conversation Part II
The National Cathedral sponsors a discussion of ideas important to Wilder's writings and to his family's concerns. With Krister Stendahl and Tikva Frymer-Kensky, cosponsored by the Washington Hebrew Congregation and the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. Contact Maria Anguiano for more more information.
October 10 - 27, 2002
Our Town. The Firehouse Center for the Performing Arts, Newburyport, MA
It is with a spirit of community and appreciation, that the Firehouse will present this play, in our town, in our time. We want an opportunity to come together, from all corners, to the Firehouse, to celebrate who we are. Everyone working on the production is volunteering his or her time. So we celebrate our spirit, our generosity, our desire to come and work together. Over 50 people will appear in the show -local captains of industry alongside veteran actors. Contact Suzanne Bryan, director or visit www.firehousecenter.com for more more information.
September - October, 2002
Upcoming Concord Reads Discussion Programs on The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Concord Public Library, Concord, NH
Contact Robbin S. Bailey, Reference Librarian, for more more information.
Concord Reads Discussion Workshop on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Sunday, September 29th at 2 pm, Concord Public Library Auditorium Dr. Jennifer Lee, along with other members of the Concord Reads 2002 committee, will lead a discussion workshop for "curious readers" and potential discussion leaders. Participants will explore various ways of encouraging in-depth discussion of the novel in both formal and informal settings.
Concord Reads Book Discussion on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Monday, October 7th at 7 pm, Concord Public Library Auditorium Brother Andrew Thornton, O.S.B. of St. Anselm College, will lecture on the theological and philosophical settings and themes of the novel. He will lead a discussion with the audience following his presentation.
Concord Reads Book Discussion on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Monday, October 21, at 6:30 pm, Concord Public Library Auditorium Professor Tim Doherty of Rivier College and Dr. Jennifer Lee will hold a conversation with each other and the audience about the biographical, literary, and dramatic aspects of the novel.
Concord Reads Film Showing and Discussion on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Saturday, October 26, at 7 pm, City Auditorium Barry Steelman, film expert, and owner of Cinema 93, will introduce a showing of the 1944 black-and-white film of the novel. After the film, he will lead a discussion with the audience about the film's interpretation of the novel and the possible effects of World War II on its production.
September 6 - October 13, 2002
The Skin of Our Teeth. Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI
Directed by Amanda Dehnert. Chace Theater. See the Trinity Repertory web site or call (401) 351-4242 for more more information.
May 29 - June 23, 2002
Our Town.
Round House Theater, Bethesda, Maryland.
Pat Carroll and Our Town to have an extended run as the opening production of Bethesda's Round House Theater. On June 22, Tappan Wilder and a panel of Society scholars will meet with the audience.
Jerry Whiddon, Producing Artistic Director of Round House, will direct this debut production at the Round House's new location, off East-West Highway in Bethesda.
See the Roudhouse Theater web site for more more information.
Also, read "Round House Moves In With a Stirring 'Our Town'" in the Washington Post, June 7, 2002
June 5-22, 2002
Our Town. Westport Country Playhouse, Westport CT.
The Pulitzer Prize winning classic play Our Town by Thornton Wilder is the first production of the Westport Country Playhouse's 72nd summer season. The show will run from June 5 through June 22. Paul Newman will step out as the stage manager in his first stage role in nearly 40 years.
The play paints a picture of small town America in the setting of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire in 1903. The story explores the classic themes of life, love and loss, appreciating every day and the pleasure of simple things.
Artistic Director Joanne Woodward has wanted to bring Our Town back to this theatre since she joined the Playhouse in 2000, but this season the play seemed to be particularly appropriate. "The September 11 tragedy forced us all to look at the world in a different way," she said. "This play takes place in a simpler, more innocent time," Woodward said, "and it reminds us all of the importance of living every moment."
Tony-award winning Broadway veteran James Naughton will direct. "People say this is the "must see" event of the suumer."--Liz Smith
As Bruce Weber, New York Times critic, notes, Newman "is commanding. His profile is stunning and fierce, and often, as he stands observing with other actors at center stage, you can feel your gaze drawn by the magnetic tug of his presence." Click here for full review. (Free Registration Required) Call Box Office at 203-227-4177 for more info or visit http://westportplayhouse.org
June 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, 2002
Hello Dolly. Market House Theatre, Paducah, KY.
America's beloved matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi is off and running at the turn of the century. She's determined to find herself a new husband and in the process match up 2 young couples. Which for Dolly, ends up in a parade and a song and one of the most fabulous characters on the musical stage! See the Market House Theatre web site for more information.
May 10 and 11, 2002
Queens of France and Cement Hands.
Great Neck South High School, Great Neck, NY.
At Theater South (Great Neck South High School Theater Department Young Director's One-Act Play Festival). David Greenwald is directing two Wilder One-Acts in his directorial debut in his high school's one-act play festival. The plays are Queens of France, being performed for the first time, and Cement Hands.
April 10 - May 5, 2002
Our Town. Dallas Theater Center, Dallas, TX.
Dallas Theater Center closes its 2001-2002 Season with Thornton Wilder's American classic, Our Town, directed by Artistic Director Richard Hamburger. In this deceptively simple story of "growing up, living, and dying" in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, Wilder's luminous play embraces and examines both the cosmos and the commonplace. Our Town, part of the Kimberly-Clark Contemporary Family Series, will run April 10 through May 5, 2002 at the Arts District Theater. Opening night is April 16, 2002. The Executive Producing Partner for Our Town is The Sunny and Abe Rosenberg Foundation. Additional support is being provided by Lincoln Properties.
Single ticket prices range from $22 to $62. All performances are at the Arts District Theater, 2401 Flora Street at Jack Evans. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. A pay-what-you-can performance is Sunday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. $10 student "rush" tickets are available one hour prior to each performance. For tickets, call the Dallas Theater Center Box Office at 214.522.8499 or purchase on-line at www.dtcinfo.org, www.dallastheatercenter.org or www.tickets.com.
DTC's InPerspective series, a free humanities series that places each play in a broad cultural context, will feature a noted speaker and will take place Sunday, April 21 immediately following the matinee. Inside Scoop, a forum for moderated discussion between audience and cast members, will be held Sunday, April 28 immediately following the matinee. For more information contact Lisa Taylor at lisatmp@swbell.net or 214.943.1099.
April 25-28, 2002
Our Town. Mainstage Theatre, Univ. of Texas at Arlington
UTA Theatre Arts presents Thornton Wilder's masterpiece; a number of events, including a cast reunion of the 1985 UTA Theatre production, will celebrate the life and work of Thornton Wilder. See the UTA Theatre web site for more information, or contact Dennis M. Maher, Dramaturg & Direct, at dmmaher@uta.edu.
February 27 - April 27, 2002
The Play's The Thing Exhibition. Grolier Club of New York, New York, NY.
Drawn from the Harvard Theatre Collection of the Houghton Library, the rare book and manuscript library of Harvard College. Manuscripts in the exhibition will range from a medieval French mystery play, to manuscripts by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Oscar Wilde, to the prompt books for the original productions of THORNTON WILDER'S OUR TOWN (prepared by EP Goodnow, stage manager) and Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. An illustrated companion to the exhibition by curator Fredric Woodbridge Wilson will be on sale during the run of the show. See the Grolier Club of New York web site for more information, or contact Megan Smith, Exhibitions Coordinator, at msmith@grolierclub.org.
April 2002 -- Weekends
Our Town. Municipality of Aghios Demetrios, Athens - GREECE
The Drama Workshop of the municipality of Aghios Demetrios, a town 3kms from the centre of Athens, in Greece, will perform Thornton Wilder's "Our Town", this April's Weekends (2002) in the theatre of "Melina Merkouri", in the town hall of the Municipality of Aghios Demetrios. See web site for more information, or contact Economou Michael.
April 10, 2002, 7:30 PM
Thornton Wilder Writing Competition. Hamden Library, Hamden, CT.
In anticipation of Wilder's 105th birthday, awards will be presented to the student winners of the Annual Thornton Wilder Writing Competition, sponsored by Friends of the Library. The winning entries of prose and poetry will be read. See Thornton Wilder Writing Competition and Hamden Library web sites for more information, or call Betty Mettler at 203-288-0556.
February 15 - March 10, 2002
Our Town. Theatre in the Round, Minneapolis, MN.
Grover's Corners brought to life in an arena (in the round) setting, directed by Lynn Musgrave a play selection for TRP's 50th anniversary season. For more information visit theatreintheround.org, or contact Linda Sue Anderson (AKA Mrs. Gibbs) at bodo12@qwest.net.
February 21-24, 28, March 1-3, 8-9, 2002
Our Town. Haddonfield Plays & Players, Haddonfield, NJ.
Renowned local theatre company presents the Thornton Wilder classic "Our Town," directed by Nikolette Adams and produced by Christine Hartranft, as part of the company's 2002 season. Call the box office at 856-429-8139 for more information or visit Haddonfield Plays & Players online at www.haddonfieldplayers.com, or contact Dennis Dougherty at doughertyde@rowan.edu
February 9 - March 3, 2002
Our Town. Transport Group at the Connelly Theatre, New York, NY.
Jack Cummings III's "Our Town" stars Tom Ligon and Barbara Andres in the roles of George and Emily. Previews February 9 - February 15 and opens February 16, 2002 at the Connelly Theatre in New York City. Press information: Joe Trentacosta at Springer/Chicoine. Ticket information: Smarttix.com. Visit www.transport-group.org for more information.
Reviewed in The New York Times, 2/25/02 (free registration required)
February 28 - March 3, 2002
Our Town. Market House Theatre, Paducah, KY.
An American classic, expressing with warmth and humor the eternal truths of human existence. Our Town is set in 1901 in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, where the Gibbses and the Webbs are neighbors. During their childhood George Gibbs and Emily Webb are playmates and their lives are inextricably woven together, as neighbors' lives are likely to be. But as they grow older they pass into a state of romantic (and embarrassing) interest in one another. George proposes to Emily in the drug store over an ice cream soda, and they are married with all the good folks of Grover's Corners in attendance. But George and Emily's happiness is short-lived. Emily dies in childbirth and is buried in the town's cemetery on a rainy, dreary day. There she is reunited with those friends and neighbors who have died before her, and who help her acclimate herself to her new existence. See the Market House Theatre web site for more information.
February 21 - March 2, 2002
Our Town. Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ.
Theatre and Dance Series. Performances are Feb 21, 22, 23, 28, Mar 1 and 2 at 8PM - Feb 24 at 2PM & March 1 at 1PM. See web site for more information, or contact Joanne Owens, Managing Director.
Thursday February 28, 2002 at 4:00pm—Meet Tappy Wilder
Meet Tappy Wilder, nephew of Thornton Wilder, in the Fox Theatre before attending a performance of OUR TOWN at 8pm in Memorial Auditorium. Refreshments will be served in the Fox Theatre at 4pm.
February 22-24, 2002
Our Town. Dominican University, River Forest, Il.
Performances of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, at the Lund Auditorume. 7900 West Division Street, River Forest, Illinois 60305. Box Office: 708-524-6942. For more information contact Jill Poehlman.
February 14-16, 2002
Our Town. Southern Wesleyan University, Upper Montclair, NJ.
Southern Wesleyan University presents the American classic play, "Our Town." Contact Lindsay Duncan for more information.
February 7-10, 2002
Our Town. Academy Repertory Theatre Company, Sewell, NJ.
A uniquely staged vision of the Pulitzer Prize winning classic, sure to please all. Director Kimberly Palomo promises an exciting theatrical experience, moving in its drama, expressive in its philosophy, fascinating in its technique. Contact Janelle Begley for more information. (856-468-1445 ext. 2650)
December 2001
Our Town The National Theater, Dublin, Ireland. Abbey Road.
December 17 - 18, 2001
Our Town. Westmount Collegiate Institute @ Vaughan City Playhouse, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.
A high school educational production. Contact Sara MacGregor
.
December 6-22, 2001
The Long Christmas Dinner. Sacred Fools Theater, Hollywood, CA.
The award-winning Sacred Fools Theater Company presents Thornton Wilder's "The Long Christmas Dinner" as a holiday attraction Dec. 6-22. See http://www.SacredFools.org for more information, or contact Philip Sokoloff.
November 14 - December 9, 2001
Our Town. Delaware Theatre Company, Wilmington, Delaware.
On August 21, 2001, society members Tappan Wilder, Professor Christopher Wheatley of Catholic University, and biographer Penelope Niven will help lead teacher training session about Our Town, sponsored by the theater. See the Delaware Theatre Company home page for more information, or contact Charles Conway at 302-594-1104, ext. 226.
Wed, November 14, 2001, 7:30 PM
Yale Broadcasting/Hamden Library, Hamden/Miller Library.
Experience a real live radio program! Gregor Barnum of Yale Broadcasting, with his group of players, will present 2 shows in the same evening. One of these will have special reference to Hamden's own outstanding author, Thornton Wilder. See http://www.hamdenlibrary.org for more information.
November 2 & 3, 2001
Our Town. Bethany Bible Institute (College), Hepburn , Saskatchewan.
Dinner Theatre presentation of Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN. For more information contact sjsgoerz@hotmail.com
October 19-20, 26-27, 2001
Our Town. The New Peapack Players, Peapack Reformed Church, Gladstone NJ
The New Peapack Players, a community theatre troupe in New Jersey's Somerset Hills region, will present OUR TOWN on four nights in October at historic Peapack Reformed Church in Gladstone. Directed by Allen Crossett and produced by Linda Lipkin, this production will feature a full choir supporting musical elements of the play. If you haven't seen OUR TOWN performed with original choral accompaniment, this production is not to be missed. Opening Night is a special benefit performance for the Peapack-Gladstone Library. Ticket information and directions are available at the Players' website: http://www.peapackplayers.com.
October 18, 20 - 23, 2001
Our Town. Haltom High School, Haltom City, Texas
For more information contact am0z@am0z.zzn.com
July 6-August 25 2001
The Matchmaker. Cumston Opera House, Monmouth, Maine, fifteen miles west of Augusta.
Directed by the theater's Artistic Director Barbara Bosch, a professor of drama at Hunter College. In repertory for 16 perfomances.
July 2001
Lincoln Center Director's Lab
The Society is collaborating with the Lincoln Center's Directors' Lab 2001 on a project to be called Wilder in the 21st Century, a compilation of the directors' responses to their experience in reevaluating Wilder and to the productions of Wilder plays, their own and others', during July 2001. Look forward to seeing the results of this collaboration in the Newsletter section of the website. See the Lincoln Center home page for more information about the Directors' Lab Program.
July 7th – 29th 2001The Skin of Our Teeth
California Shakespeare Festival. Bruns Amphitheater. Orinda, California. Directed by Richard Hamburger. The 1942 Pulitzer Prize-wining classic by the author of Our Town. A typical, but far from average, American family survives the Ice Age, floods, world wars, and New Jersey: a drama about humanity’s enduring ability to survive, if only by the skin of its teeth.
Tuesday-Sunday, July 7-29. Tickets: $12-$41. Call 510-548-9666. See the www.calshakes.org web site for more information about the production.
July 3-July 26 2001
Our Town
Summer Stage. Indiana State University Summer Stage Production. Terre Haute Indiana. See web.indstate.edu.theatree/summer.html for more information.
May 24, 2001
Wilder Symposium, at the American Literature Association, on Wilder in the 21st Century. Panelists include J.D.McClatchy, editor of the Yale Review, and chairman of the board of The Thornton Wilder Society; Penelope Niven, writer in residence at Salem College, N.C., and biographer of the upcoming biography of Thornton Wilder; Jackson Bryer, professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, Md., co-editor of the Thornton Wilder letters, and member of the Society's Board; Tatiana Kabanova, Russian authority on Thornton Wilder; and Tappan Wilder, Thornton Wilder's literary executor and nephew.
May 15-June 23
Our Town, La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, California
Selected by Artistic Director and two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, Our Town, directed by Michael Geif, will open the 2001 of the La Jolla Playhouse. The play was first seen at the playhouse in 1950, when it was directed by the theater's co-founder, Mel Ferrer. See the La Jolla Playhouse page or call (858) 550-1010 for further information.
May 3-10, 2001
Our Town. Yale University Theater, New Haven, Connecticut.
Produced and directed by Claudia Zelevansky, with the guidance of Professor Liz Diamond.
April 11, 2001
Thornton Wilder Writing Contest Awards, Hamden, Connecticut.
Established by Thornton Wilder's sister Isabelle, the annual contest encourages high school student writers to hone their craft, competing in two categories: Poetry and Prose. This year there were 51 contestants, and 5 winners, the first prize in prose going to an exceptionally gifted 9th grader, Ana Vollmar, whose talent is sparkling. Especially memorable was Natasha Diosa's poem "My Blues," a terrific response to Ken Burns's series on jazz. Her "silvery, sassy, sax" sang out like Lester Young or Charlie Parker. READ MORE . . .
April 5, 2001
Thornton Wilder Dramatic Writing Award: Berea College, Berea, Kentucky.
Funded by the family of Thornton Wilder, this award goes to a student or student who demonstrate excellence in the field of dramatic writing. The year the award went to an entire class of 10 students who, taught by playwright Arthur Giron, Professor Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, and Professor Al DeGiacomo, participated in The Grandparents Project. READ MORE . . .
March 7-10 2001
The Matchmaker, Emporia State University Theater, King Hall, Karl C. Bruder Theater, Emporia, Kansas.
Directed by Theater Director Harry B. Parker. As Parker writes in the program, "The Matchmaker reflects Wilder's status as a preeminent scholar and voracious reader of literature, for while much of [the play] is original material, it is also freely adapted from other works," including, Parker notes, Viennese comic playwright Johann Nestroy and the French dramatist Moliere, giving the play an international zestiness. Reviewers commented on the production's strong direction and madcap pacing, "silly and gorgeous," remarked reviewer Teri Mott in The Emporia Gazette.
January 5-February 18, 2001
An evening of Wilder One Acts: Center Stage Theater, Baltimore, Md.
Directed by Tim Vasen. Plays include Now the Servant's Name Was Malchus; The Wreck on the Five-Twenty-Five; The Long Christmas Dinner; Pullman Car Hiawatha. READ MORE . . .
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