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Revival of Thornton Wilder classic out-runs the original

BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

OFF BROADWAY REVIEW

Tops among so many "Best of 2009" tallies, a remarkable off-Broadway staging of "Our Town" just surpassed the run of the 1938 original -- but plenty of folks certain to love this show have yet to see it.

A major reason is that the Barrow Street Theatre holds only 150 seats. So expect quite an intimate visit to Thornton Wilder's masterpiece regarding life, love and death in a 1900s New England village.

While remaining faithful to the playwright's famously scenery-free concept, director David Cromer really puts the "our" in "Our Town" by practically staging the play around the audience.

Several rows of seating line three sides of the central performance space, so the acting happens within fingertip proximity of many spectators. Dressed in everyday clothes of today (rather than turn of the last century garb), the characters blend in visually with viewers, bringing us even closer to the universal story Wilder relates so wisely.

Such nearness to the action, so enjoyable in the sweet passages of young George and Emily's courtship, resonates as something else again when the drama finally moves to the graveyard. The dead citizens of Grover's Corners, sitting quietly in their chairs, are nearly indistinguishable from the rest of us in ours.

In that same scene, Cromer magically illuminates Wilder's theme about the importance of appreciating humdrum existence by — well, let's not tell except to say the effect is revelatory. The way this director has reinvigorated a much-performed classic is astonishing.

Beautifully acting in up-close circumstances, the ensemble's natural performances are relatively delicate yet always vital. New to the company, Stephen Kunken keenly portrays the all-knowing Stage Manager with a subtle sense of compassion for the townspeople whose lives he details. Lori Myers' staunch Mrs. Gibbs, Jennifer Grace's plaintive Emily and James McMenamin's sincere George are all a pleasure to meet, while Daniel Marcus provides an unsettling presence as the misfit choir leader.

Theatergoers who believe they know "Our Town" inside out will be thrilled by the fresh insights this quietly lovely production offers.

"Our Town" continues through March 14 at the Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow St., New York. Call (212) 868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com.