Angel Vargas

ASU Prep Academy

January 23, 2016
A-Level English Lit
M2

OUR TOWN
In the play Our Town by Thornton Wilder It is made to show an original, yet interesting
story, and the everyday life of its citizens. The play begins with the stage manager who is facing
and talking to the audience, and explaining the town and its unique features. He talks to the
audience about the people and families within Grover's Corners. A regular stage manager's role
includes organizing the play as well as coordinating the theatrical production. But throughout the
play the stage manager isn't just behind the curtain, he is on stage with the actors, and ensures the
audience knows what is happening in the story in which makes him such an interesting yet
exceptional addition to the drama. The stage manager and his ability to go back in time is
creative and gives the audience a broader understanding on who the character is. Overall, it can
be proposed that the author, Thornton Wilder uses this character to manipulate time by making
the story more understandable to the audience, as well as making him play different roles
throughout the story, in which creates a unique attribute to the play.
The play influences many dramatic, and theatrical effects involving the stage manager for
example when he plays different characters in the play, throughout to give the audience insight
on what is happening. In act 2 the stage manager plays several different roles, when George and
Emily head to Morgan's Drugstore for a quick beverage, the stage manager plays Mr. Morgan

and says Hello, George, hello Emily- whatll you have?- why, Emily Webb what you been
crying about? (67) Here Mr. Morgan is talking to George and Emily on what they want to order,
and he also questions Emily on why she is sad. The stage manager plays this role very calmly,
thus making the play very unique knowing that he is not only the stage manager but also
influenced through the scenes of the play. This could infer that Wilder makes sure the stage
manager is just like an average citizen in the town and tries to refrain from putting him above
any other character in the play, in which brings a new element in the pay because you don't really
see the stage manager do things like this. Also in act 2 the stage manager does not play only one
role, he also plays the minister at George and Emily's wedding. In the beginning before the
wedding began, it stated in italic letters that the stage manager was playing the minister, this
notified the audience on who the stage manager was going to play. As the minister was with the
bride and future husband he stated Do you George take this woman, Emily to be your wedded
wife(81). Here Wilder made the stage manager play the minister because it was at that
moment was going to change Emily's and George's life forever. Throughout the story it is based
on these two peoples lives, and their own life story. Wilder makes the stage manager play a part
of their journey for example he was Mr. Morgan at the market Emily and George went to, and he
was the minister at their wedding. This was a unique and new theatre effect that Wilder made, as
he uses the stage manager to play different characters in Our town.
Time is an essence to the author, in the drama you'd notice that one of the most key
characters in the play, known as the stage manager goes back in time causing a dramatic shift. An
article called In our living and in our Dying stated that the stage manager was based on these
ideals, A stage manager appears to tell the audience about the background to philosophize a bit
about life and death, and to set a scene(Arthur H. Ballet) although the stage manager does do

these, they are missing one component, in which is he could go back in time. In the play the
stage manager does set up the scene for the audience in telling them what's happening, but he
also references things that happened in the past. For example when he talks about Joe Crowell he
mentions the past and where he went to school. This can mean that the stage manager is able to
know what happened in the past and some may question is he a human or not. Wilder may have
done this on purpose, in one of the most important scenes in the play towards the end when many
of the people in Grover's Corners died. In the scene the men and woman who died, were talking
but the people who were still alive, like George couldn't hear what they were saying. When
Emily had passed away she was now in the cemetery with the rest of the people in Grover's
Corners. Emily wanted to go back to reality and didn't want to die so the stage manager granted
her desire for life, she wanted to relive one day in the past and she chose her twelfth birthday, he
said All right, February 11th, 1899. A Tuesday(100) and then asks her does she want any
specific time and she answers the whole day. Here the stage manager is more like a time traveller
in the story rather than a character. He is able to manipulate time by knowing everyone in the
town and also understanding their past. Wilder makes this role so important because the stage
manager is not seen as Much of a character anymore. A theatrical effect can be seen here that the
stage manager isn't just a character, he is similar to being the god of our town and able to go back
in time as some may say. Our Town is a very interesting play especially the stage manager,
towards the last part of the drama he states This time nine years have gone by, friends, summer,
1913. Gradual changes in Grover's Corners(185). Here the stage manager let's the audience
know what time it is. This can show time manipulation by understanding the past to set the scene
for the future. All of this then goes to the audience and it set's up a specific time in the play and it
is easier for them to understand what is happening.

In conclusion Wilder makes the stage manager manipulate time which can cause the
audience to understand what is going on in the play and sets up a scene for them as well. The
stage manager also plays different characters in the play in which show that he is an ordinary
person in the play and can show that he isn't just an ordinary stage manager he is one of a kind
and different than the rest of them. Thornton Wilder makes the stage manager such a compelling,
yet unique character in the play and a difficult character to understand as well.

Works Cited:
Article: In our Living and in our Dying by Arthur H. Ballet
Our Town by Thornton Wilder