Artists’ Exchange Christens New, Bigger Theatre with "Our Town"

Artists' Exchange is in the midst of renovating and spiffying-up a new space for an expansion of their operations in Rolfe Square.

The new space, dubbed "Theatre 82," at the former Gymboree at 82 Rolfe Square and will triple the capacity of their performance space in the original Black Box Theatre at 50 Rolfe Square.

To christen the new space, the folks at Artists' Exchange chose Thorton Wilder's classic, "Our Town."

According to a release, as they planned to renovate the space, the organization "was inspired to select a play befitting the momentous occasion."

And "they didn’t have to think for long. Thornton Wilder’s classic play Our Town, celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year, is the story of a small community and the ordinary lives of its inhabitants, told with a sensitivity and quiet wisdom that ultimately captures the heart of the human experience and what connects us all."

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores the fictional lives of the Gibbs family, the Webb family and their neighbors in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire early in the 20th century. It is typically set on a near bare stage and performed entirely without props. A “stage manager” takes on the role of narrator, often sharing some of the play’s most profound words, perhaps most famously: “We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars... everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

Through love and loss, the play raises life’s most fundamental questions with man’s internal struggle taking center stage, and ultimately, what emerges is a moving celebration of humanity.

Opening night will kick off with a grand opening celebration on Friday, April 5^th from 6 to 8pm, complete with live music and a menu of drinks and pastries available at the in-house Characters Café, owned and operated by Jenn and Mike Ray, Cranston residents and long-time supporters of Artists’ Exchange. The performance of Our Town scheduled for that evening will begin at 8pm. For the late night crowd, the evening will continue after the performance with a visit from Bring Your Own Improv (BYOI). All of the evening’s festivities are open to the public.

For supporters of Artists’ Exchange, there is also a way to get involved before the grand opening. Artists’ Exchange is seeking donations to outfit the space with 150 chairs. Contributions can be made through the organization’s website. For donations of $20, donors can have their name on a chair.

Our Town will be performed Friday, April 5^th through Sunday, April 14^th, Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm (with the exception of the opening night performance) and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $15. For reservations, visit Artists’ Exchange’s website at www.artists-exchange.org.

Our Town is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.