‘Our Town’: Another View

Grover's Corners, New Hampshire is just your average small town. The newspaper and milk are delivered right to your door, boys and girls who have known each other their whole lives grow up and get married, and townspeople gather in Church to sing hymns with ghosts. Well, maybe Grover's Corners is not quite the average small town. Then again, Conestoga High School's riveting production of Our Town is not quite the average play.

Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder, is broken up into three acts, each taking place on a different day over the course of twelve years. It follows the evolving relationship of Grover's Corners natives Emily Webb (Meredith Antoian) and George Gibbs (Michael Browne), and the ways in which this couple, and the entire town, are touched by friendship, romance, and eventually, death.

Strong leads, along with a Ghost Ensemble that was both literally and figuratively haunting, helped to drive this fascinating take on a classic play.

Katie Johantgen gave a chilling performance as the Stage Manager, the omniscient character who narrates and controls the story. Although her character, surrounded by a horde of ghosts, is eerily similar to the Grim Reaper, it was impossible not be drawn in by Johantgen's captivating story-telling. As Emily, Meredith Antoian deftly portrayed her character's evolution from young girl to young woman, and her scenes with her no-nonsense mother, played by Caroline Kane, were especially touching. Michael Browne's George was tender and funny, and his infatuation with Emily was genuine, from his childhood flirtations with her to the final image of him crying at the foot of his beloved wife's grave.

The Ghost Ensemble, with their shuffling movements and penetrating stares, were both fascinating and truly frightening, and they served as stark reminders of human mortality, an important theme in the play. Connor Feimster's drunken organist Simon Stimson and Angie Fennell's busy-body Mrs. Soames provided comic relief, perfectly balancing out their undead counterparts.

Sets were minimal, and were utilized well by the actors, who proved that a few chairs can go a long way. The student-run lighting, consisting of spotlights and cool colors, and makeup, consisting of white faces and black-rimmed eyes for the ghosts, appeared professional.

Although the Stage Manager constantly reminds the audience of the play's inevitable conclusion, Conestoga High School's recent production of Our Town made you want to stay along for the entire captivating ride.