MiraCosta Theatre Department to Present 'Our Town'

This October, MiraCosta’s Theatre Department will present Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” directed by Tracy Williams. “Our Town” is a character study that details the everyday interactions between citizens of Grover’s Corners, a fictional, early-20th century town. This Pulitzer-Prize-winning drama has become an American stage treasure and is Wilder’s most renowned and frequently performed play.

“I am so excited to have the opportunity to direct this play,” says Williams. “My father directed it when I was a young girl in a community theatre in Huntington Beach.  We used to get up at five in the morning for rehearsals. I wasn't cast in the play, but loved watching the rehearsal process so much that I would join him in ‘wee’ hours. I  remember being moved by this play even as a child of 10 or 11. It has been on my list of plays I wanted to direct for many years...I finally have the right group to do it with.”

First produced in 1938, “Our Town” is set in a 1930's theater and is narrated by the stage manager. The citizens of Grover's Corners are created specifically for the audience, and scenes from the town’s history play out on a minimalist stage. “Our Town” is the story of each of us “in our growing up and in our marrying, and in our living, and in our dying.”  In this way, Wilder encourages viewers to seize each day and appreciate the wonder of each passing moment.

“Our Town” stars Carlsbad residents Mary Relator (playing Mrs. Gibbs), Aimee Burdette (Rebecca Gibbs) and Garrett Bales (Simon Stimson); Vista residents Bernard Kopsho (Stage Manager), Hayley Palmer (Emily Webb), Amanda Dane (Mrs. Webb) and Patricia Sullivan (Mrs. Soames); Del Mar resident Ryan Kidd (George Gibbs); Oceanside resident Michael Thomas (Doc Gibbs); and Encinitas resident Sassan Saffari (Mr. Webb).

“Our Town” will be performed in the MiraCosta College Theatre, 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside on October 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m., and October 5 and 12 at 2 p.m. General admission is $12; seniors/staff, $10; and students, $8.  A preview performance is scheduled for October 2 at 7:30 p.m., all seats are $8. Tickets are available online here or by calling the MiraCosta College Box Office at (760) 795-6815. A publicity photo is available for download here.