Director explains concept of HHS Theatre's fall play

By Scott Pafumi, Herndon Theatre Director

HHS Theatre cast of "Our Town" rehearses. Photo contributed by HHS Theatre

It has been my great pleasure to call Herndon my home for the last 15 years, and I continue to be enamored of the people, places, history and community that make this such a special place to work and live. In celebrating Thornton Wilder’s classic drama “Our Town” as the kickoff to our Season of Carpe Diem at Herndon High School, I want us all to take pride in the theater family and community that we have lovingly built together.

“Our Town” has been celebrated on the American stage as a classic drama for the last 90 years. It is still required reading in many high school and college English curricula. This is my fourth time producing and directing the show during my 30-year career in educational theater in Fairfax County: at a middle school in 1999, at a high school in 2005, at Herndon Middle School in 2015 and now. Each time, it has been a special journey for me and the ensemble of players and technicians.

Please note that the playwright intended this show to be high-concept and low-tech, meaning he did not want to clutter the stage with many props or set pieces. Wilder requests in the preface of the play that the emphasis should be on the story and the relationships, not on material objects. To that end, you will notice quite a bit of pantomiming of things like cooking, opening doors, delivering the newspaper and milk, throwing a baseball and even an imaginary horse named Bessie! The playwright asks us to suspend our disbelief and use our mind’s eye to see and hear the life of the town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. In the three acts of this play, you will take a journey with the characters, led by the Stage Manager and Narrators, and particularly through the life lens of the Gibbs and Webb families.

The stage will be raked with planked wood and mostly sparse in setting pieces, save for some tables, chairs and the quintessential wooden ladders. Each performer will research their character and family unit, finding chairs that best fit their person. Sound effects such as chickens, train whistles, school bells, the clanking of bottles and the crow of a rooster will be made by the cast at the appropriate moments. Costuming will be period-specific to early 1900s New England. Lighting will be soft and gentle, with almost a sepia tone to create the illusion of memory. Props will be limited to what is called for in the script, while pantomiming skills will be rehearsed and perfected.

It is my hope that you find yourself in the story of this play through the myriad of characters presented. This is Herndon Theatre. This is “Our Town,” whether it is the fictional Grover’s Corners or the real-life Herndon. Thank you for trusting the process as we work together to create this magical play. And here’s hoping that you realize how beautiful life truly is, every, every minute.