I first encountered “Our Town” in eighth-grade English class. As 13-year-olds, we were primarily concerned about who had to read the parts of Emily and George during the strawberry milkshake scene. I remember thinking it was a strange play, and somewhat off-putting with its antiquated language and heavy focus on death. I don’t think I knew what to make of its ending, which was something other than happy.
That is to say, I believe it takes a lot of skill to make “Our Town” feel as earnest, uplifting, and relevant as the Peterborough Players did Wednesday night, on the green behind the Peterborough Town House.
“Our Town” encourages the audience to consider its subject matter through the widest lens possible. Eternity is a recurring theme, in repeated references to geologic time and ancestors long-gone. Such a scope could make the minutiae of everyday life seem insignificant, but the play manages to make trifling moments feel precious, rather than pointless.
This is partly because the Players managed to make the characters so relatable, which is particularly impressive given that they were written so long ago. The actors deserve high praise for each of their distinct, lovingly-rendered characters who reflected so many universal facets of family and community life: a silly little sister, an insatiable choir director, a gabby lady who traps others in her ceaseless conversations. Anchoring the play is Gordon Clapp’s Stage Manager, a character instantly recognizable to any New Englander who’s shot the breeze with an old townie. He serves as a gentle guide, and a necessary grounding force as the audience travels through time, space, love, and death. I found myself smiling every time I saw him lumbering back toward center stage.
The outdoor setting was a great compliment, and helped the play transcend the fourth wall all the more. Every reference to the earth underfoot and the summer breeze felt more poignant for being outside, as did every reference to landmarks actually visible, or nearly so: the Town House and Main Street, Mount Monadnock, the since-removed railroad line. It seemed to work well logistically, too: the weather cooperated, and I enjoyed lounging, bug-free and warm, in the comfortable chairs that were well-arranged on the slightest slope. When the footlights came on in the third act to combat the growing dusk, it added a subtle, otherworldly quality to the graveyard scene.
The day before I saw the play, director Tom Frey told me why he wanted it to be the Players’ first performance after a tumultuous year and a half marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am unsure how much this summer’s performance differs from the theater’s treatment of the play in previous seasons, but I am positive it was a great choice for 2021. After a year marked for so many by loss, fear, and longing, I can’t think of a more appropriate sentiment than what “Our Town” delivers: it contemplates life in a way that acknowledges its brevity and unfairness, but it provides a comfortable acceptance, and a sense of continuity. And, of course, a loving reflection on life in a small New Hampshire community.