Our Town
Sunday, August 24 and Monday,
August 25
Sunday, August 31 and Monday, September 1
7:00 p.m., Joseph Stein Stage
Purchase
Your Tickets Here
A Note from the Director
The Cast
Technical and Artistic Staff
Cast Biographies
Our Town is
a three act play by Thornton Wilder which is, perhaps, the most frequently
produced play by an American playwright. The play is set in the fictional
community of Grover's Corners, modeled after several New
Hampshire towns in the Mount
Monadnock region: Jaffrey, Peterborough, Dublin, and others.
Using meta-theatrical devices, the play is set in a 1930's theater.
Through the actions of the Stage Manager the town of Grover's Corners
is created for the audience and scenes from its history between
the years of 1901 and 1913 play out. Wilder, in his 30s, began
this play before his time at the MacDowell
Colony in Peterborough in June, 1937, one of many locations
where Wilder worked on the play. The third act was drafted entirely
in one day during a visit to Zurich in September of 1937 after
a long evening walk in the rain with a friend.
Our Town is a story of character development that details
the interactions between citizens of an everyday town in the early
20th century through their everyday lives (particularly the lives
of George Gibbs, a doctor's son, and Emily Webb, the daughter of
a newspaper editor). Our Town was first performed at the
McCarter Theater in Princeton, New
Jersey on January 22, 1938. It next opened at the Wilbur
Theater in Boston on
January 25, 1938. Its New
York City debut was at Henry
Miller's Theatre, and later moved to the Morosco
Theatre. The play was produced and directed by Jed
Harris. It won
the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama in 1938.
A Note from the Director
My dream is finally coming to fruition! Five years ago, I set out to bring straight theatre to the Amish Acres audience. When I began, I knew that my long term goal was to produce a straight play as part of our main stage season. As the second stage has grown, we’ve been able to branch outside of the Locke and “poof,” Our Town opens as the first ever non musical on The Joseph Stein Stage. Apparently the idea has been such a success, that we are now adding a play to our 2009 season as part of the Repertory year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for supporting this brain child of mine and for allowing it to grow year after year. I would also like to thank the Pletcher family for believing in my vision and helping breathe life into it. I can’t think of a more appropriate play to begin this new journey with. I hope you all enjoy Thorton Wilder’s take on small time living!
~Jeremy Littlejohn
The Cast
Stage Manager............................Douglas Campbell
Dr. Gibbs....................................Dan Johnson
Joe / Si Crowell...........................Danny Fattorusso
Howie Newsome..........................David Smith
Mrs. Gibbs..................................Rita Kurtz
Mrs. Webb..................................Pam Gunterman
George Gibbs..............................Ryan Yoder
Rebecca Gibbs............................Bay Cope
Emily Webb................................Nicole Tompkins
Professor Willard.........................Richard P. Snyder
Mr. Webb....................................Harold Engel
Constable Warren........................J.D. Simper
Sam Craig..................................Ben Jacobs
Joe Stoddard...............................Scott Saegesser
Technical and Artistic Staff
Executive Producer: Richard Pletcher
Artistic Director / Lighting Designer: Jeremy Littlejohn
Props Master: Lance Mullins
Sound Designer: Paul Dodds
Box Office Manager: Jennifer Scheffer
Marketing: The Village Group, LLC
Cast Biographies
Douglas Campbell (Stage Manager) is pleased to be performing at The Round Barn for this landmark event, the first non-musical production on the Joseph Stein stage. In the past he has performed professionally at many venues, including the firefly festival at South Bend, Enchanted Hills Playhouse, touring Children's Theater Company, and many others just too numerous to mention. Some of his favorite roles include Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Giles in the Mousetrap, Dr. Chebutikin in The Three Sisters, and Wilbur the Pig in Charlotte's Web. In October he will be returning to New York, way off Broadway, to Produce and Direct his newly written musical All the way to Contookuk!
Harold Engel (Mr. Webb)
Pam Gunterman (Mrs. Webb) is happy to be returning to The Round Barn Theatre. She was last seen on the main stage in the 2006 RBT production of Camelot and this season’s The Music Man. Pam was also seen in the Second Stage production of Lost in Yonkers as Gert and in Steel Magnolias as Truvy in 2007. Pam has filled many roles in her theatrical experience including Director, Choreographer, Stage Crew Member and Actor. Her favorite role to this point is Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity. She would like to thank her husband Tony for his support and God for life’s endless opportunities.
Dan Johnson (Dr. Gibbs) appeared locally as Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner and Leo Barrett in Postmortem with Elkhart Civic Theatre. A veteran of regional theatre, Dan’s other credits include Ben Franklin in 1776, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes and Marcellus in The Music Man. He recently spent the month of July play the melancholy Jacques in As You Like It for Portage Michigan’s Shakespeare in the Park.
Rita Kurtz (Mrs. Gibbs) was recently seen in RBT’s Second Stage production of Lost in Yonkers, as Grandma, and performed as Ouiser, in Steel Magnolias, in 2007. She has been involved with theatre, in community productions and semi-professionally, for more years than anyone should count. Rita is also an adjunct faculty member at Davenport University. “I’d like to thank my husband, Doug, for all his love and support as we just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary.”
Nicole Tompkins (Emily) is a senior at Saint Joseph’s High School in South Bend. She is excited to be back on the Joseph Stein Stage after being seen in both Willy Wonka Jr. and Disney’s High School Musical. Other favorite shows include Godspell, Annie, and Aladdin Jr. She recently returned from Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan where she studied musical theater for 3 weeks. “Thanks to all my family, friends and theater family for all of their love and support and to my directors for always believing in me. God Bless!”
Ryan Yoder (George) is originally from Shipshewana and is currently a senior at Bethel College. Some of his favorite roles at Bethel include John in Peter Pan, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He recently made his professional debut here at the Round Barn Theatre in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel.
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