Known for their distinctive style and award-winning productions, regional theatre ensemble will present Thornton Wilder’s OUR TOWN in partnership with the Scranton Cultural Center this spring.
(Scranton, PA) – For many, OUR TOWN is a high school English class staple, but New Vintage Ensemble, a regional theatre group dedicated to reinventing the familiar, is about to change the way you think about Grover’s Corners.
New Vintage Ensemble is proud to announce its upcoming production of the American classic play OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, presented in partnership with the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple by special arrangement with Samuel French. The play will run Friday, April 27th through Saturday, May 5th, 2018 at the Scranton Cultural Center’s Shopland Hall.
The play, which enjoyed Broadway success and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama win, details the lives of the townspeople of fictional Grover’s Corners through the lens of a theatrical production. The Stage Manager serves as an omniscient narrator and guide, leading both the audience and the actors through the daily life, marriages, and deaths of the play’s characters. Brooks Atkinson, in a review in The New York Times, called OUR TOWN, “one of the finest achievements of the current stage…a hauntingly beautiful play…”.
OUR TOWN originally premiered in 1938 and will be celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Conor Kelly O’Brien, a founding member of the New Vintage Ensemble as well as the Executive Director of the Scranton Fringe Festival, serves as the director of this production.
“As the signature goal for all New Vintage Ensemble projects is to somehow reinvent the familiar, I am excited for us to be taking on this well-known piece of American theatre. While staying true to its original and universal themes, I am particularly interested in reframing the aesthetics and tone of the piece,” said O’Brien.
“We’re so thrilled to be working again with the Scranton Cultural Center,” said Mandy Pennington, ensemble member and marketing coordinator for OUR TOWN. “They’ve been a fantastic partner to collaborate with. Audiences are going to love this fresh take.”
To keep up to date with upcoming performance announcements and future New Vintage Ensemble shows at the Scranton Cultural Center, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or online at newvintageensemble.com.
SUMMARY:
- OUR TOWN
- Presented by the New Vintage Ensemble & The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
- Written by Thornton Wilder
- Directed by Conor Kelly O’Brien
- Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French
- WHERE: Shopland Hall in the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple, 420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA
- WHEN: Friday April 27th at 8 p.m., Saturday April 28th at 8 p.m., Friday May 4th at 8 p.m., and Saturday May 5th at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Tickets start at $15 and will be available via Ticketmaster and at the Scranton Cultural Center’s Fidelity Box Office
ABOUT THE NEW VINTAGE ENSEMBLE
Founded in 2013, the New Vintage Ensemble is a collective of actors from Northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to producing innovative and interactive theater while helping the art community of the Scranton region thrive. Their distinctive style and passion for engaging audiences has resulted in award-winning and internationally-recognized productions as well as regional premieres of original works. For more information, visit newvintageensemble.com.
ABOUT THE SCRANTON CULTURAL CENTER
The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple (SCCMT) is a hub for cultural events, regional performances, and community engagement for all of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It plays host to national tours of Broadway musicals and concerts, as well as national and regional artists. Learn more at scrantonculturalcenter.org