In 2018, the New Vintage Ensemble production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” made its debut
at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple to rave audience reviews. This fall, the
ensemble will return to the stage with a revival of the American theatre classic in its signature
style of reinvention.
(Scranton, PA) – An American theatre classic will take the stage during this year’s Scranton
Fringe Festival.
New Vintage Ensemble will present a revival of its 2018 production of “Our Town” by Thornton
Wilder, by special arrangement with Samuel French. Performances will run Thursday, October 3
through Sunday, October 6 at the Scranton Cultural Center’s Shopland Hall.
“We originally performed ‘Our Town’ last year in celebration of the play’s 80th anniversary,” said
ensemble member Mandy Pennington, who will also be joining the cast as Simon Stimson. “It
was such a beautiful run and we received great feedback from audiences. The Scranton Fringe
Festival is the perfect place to revive our unique take on this classic.”
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play is perhaps one of the most well-known works of American
drama and is a staple in English classrooms around the country. When the ensemble explored
possibilities for submitting to this year’s Scranton Fringe Festival, they knew they wanted to
bring back their reinvention of the familiar work.
“We’ve created a Grover’s Corners like you’ve never seen before, so it’s still very much in the
spirit of Fringe” said Pennington.
New Vintage Ensemble is well-known throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania for reinventing
classic works with its signature production style, taking on acclaimed adaptations of William
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”. It’s also been an active
participant in Scranton Fringe since the festival’s start in 2015, staging a variety of original
works from local playwrights and ensemble members.
Director Conor O’Brien, who also directed the 2018 production and is the co-founder and
Executive Director of Scranton Fringe, notes that “It has been a goal of the ensemble for quite
some time to restage one of its larger works and I am so grateful that we are accomplishing this
with Our Town, an incredibly lovely work that I think will appeal to fans of the classic as well as
those unfamiliar with its charms”.
Audiences can expect a dynamic production that turns the “Our Town” you experienced in the
classroom into something completely new. Reviews of the 2018 production called it “powerful”,
“poignant”, and “beautifully-acted.”
Tickets are now on sale at ScrantonFringe.org. For more information about the production, find
the New Vintage Ensemble on Facebook, Twitter, or online at newvintageensemble.com.
SUMMARY:
● OUR TOWN
● Written by Thornton Wilder
● Presented by the New Vintage Ensemble
● Directed by Conor Kelly O’Brien
● WHERE: Shopland Hall in the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple, 420 N.
Washington Ave., Scranton, PA
● WHEN: Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. , Friday, October 4 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday,
October 5 at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 6 at 3:00 p.m.
● TICKETS: Tickets are $10 and are available online through ScrantonFringe.org or
NewVintageEnsemble.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. All those
attending must have a ticket as well as a 2019 Scranton Fringe button.
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.