Director's Comment:
This is the 80th year anniversary of Palm Beach State College since its ground breaking ceremonies as a small community college in 1933. This is also the 75th anniversary of Thornton Wilder's groundbreaking play, Our Town. Both of these events may have had humble beginnings, but both have had a profound effect on thousands of people over the years.
Though the basic style of Our Town may seem rather quaint as a an accepted simplistic syle of theatre today. In 1938 it was quite an unusual departure from the traditional representational style of realistic drama (with scenery and props looking as close to a representation of "real life" as a photograph). However, as we look at them, photographs tend to give us a 2-demensional view of our past lives . What Wilder has achieved, on stage with live actors, is a more 3-demensional look at our lives -- with just a bit of irony.
The memories in our mind, as we look back, tend to be a bit more vivid and selective. We see our past with a new prospective -- because at the time we were consumed and pre-occupied with the mundane. As Wilder says in this play we were "too busy living to notice how wonderful life is".
This is the message that Wilder wants us to contemplate -- (which is why Wilder insists you must stay for the entire play, lest you are left with some misconceptions portrayed in Acts I and II.) In Act III, Emily tries to "go back" and enjoy life again -- only to realize she missed so much at the time. She asks: "Does anybody realize how wonderful life is while they are living it?" The Stage Manager replies: "No! Saints and poets on occasion, but most people live their lives unaware".
As you leave the Palm Beach State Eissey Campus theatre tonight, hopefully you will gain a bit of insight from our production and Wilder's genius. His message is still is true today, 75 years later.
Give your children an extra hug tonight, your friends a knowing smile tomorrow and, when confronting acquaintances and strangers in the future, give yourself a deeper and more thoughtful understanding of their lives. We're all in this together, this thing called "life". A college and a play are meant to enrich our lives. Let's all appreciate it and get the most out of it - right now, while we're experiencing it.
-John Sabo, Our Town Director and Eissey Campus Drama Club Advisor
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Student Activitie coordinators Angela Allen and Sherry McFadden, Nancy Denholm and the Eissey Campus Theatre staff, Bob Woods and his Eissey Campus Technical Staff, Jackie Shepherd, Dean Rob Gingras, Professor Leonie Escoffery, Jim McConville, Vyki Sabo, Phillip Hannong, Eissey Campus Drama Club members and officers, parents, spouses, employers, family members and Palm Beach State faculty who have been understanding of the needs, long hours and sacrifices needed for this production to take place. (And, of course, let me not forget to thank all of the many anonymous people whose names I cannot remember as of this printing deadline. "When I was young I couldn't wait to get older -- what was my hurry"?)
