Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance (TPS), will offer a fresh perspective on Thornton Wilder’s classic play “Our Town,” according to a KSU news release by Kathie Beckett.

The play begins today, November 6, and runs through November 11.

According to the news release, “The play, set in Grover’s Corners, tells the story of everyday rituals—and big life events—that bind us together as humans in our community. The fictional New England town is based on Peterborough, N.H., where Wilder spent many summers.”

A new take on Our Town

TPS professor Margaret Baldwin, co-director of the production, said, “In choosing to include ‘Our Town’ in our TPS performance season, we asked ourselves: ‘What does an American village look like today?’ From the start, we knew that we wanted to bring together an acting ensemble that reflected contemporary American life in its complexity and diversity with regard to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual expression.”

Baldwin said one of the goals was to allow the audience to see each character in the play performed by different actors. To do this one ensemble cast will rotate the characters they play into two different configurations. Tickets are discounted so audience members will get a chance to see both cast configurations.

TPS Interim Chair, Rebecca Makus, who is the scenic designer on the production, said the play resonates with the theme of this year’s production season examining the American experience from multiple angles. She asked, “Who are we past and present? What questions have we asked (and continue to ask) about our national identity?

The news release stated, “Patrons may see both casts perform at a discounted rate. Please call the box office at 470-578-6650 for this special offer or click here to purchase tickets. (Discount for second show is not available when purchasing tickets online.) “