'Our Town' Comes to Our City

The small town of Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, circa 1910, may seem like a far cry from modern-day Meriden. But Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, set in the fictional Grovers Corners, reveals that people everywhere, regardless of time or place, struggle with universal questions and conflicts. The Castle Craig Players bring Wilder’s classic play to Meriden this weekend.

The production is directed by John Kenney, former longtime drama director for Maloney High School. In his 40-plus years at Maloney, Kenney directed the play there twice.

“I thought it would be nice to do it with an adult cast,” he said.

Our Town, set in the early 20^th century, portrays the everyday lives of people in a small New England town. It carries a message about the importance of appreciating the moments we are given on Earth.

“I thought we needed to be reminded of that,” Kenney said in explaining why he chose the play.

According to Mark Lucella, an actor in the production and self-described Jack-of-all-trades for the Castle Craig Players, “Our Town is the most widely produced play in high school, regional and community theaters across the country.”

This production features several cast members from Meriden, including students from Washington Middle School. The lighting is run by two Maloney sophomores.

Our Town will be performed at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse, 59 West Main Street, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The production runs October 14 – 29. Tickets are $12.