UNION, NJ — Beloved by many, “Our Town” is set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. It explores the universal themes of life, love, community and mortality. Since it was first performed in 1938, it has been widely considered one of the best American dramas of all time, combining humor, tenderness and powerful story telling.
“Our Town” is being presented by the American Theater Group and will be coming to DMK Theater, running from Thursday, Oct. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 2. The production will be led by director Merete Muenter, whose numerous credits include serving as associate director of the 2022 Off Broadway production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” directed by Joel Grey; and ATG’s 2019 production of “Bridges of Madison County.”
“It’s 1901. It spans probably over a decade of time,” said Muenter. “It’s about love. Love of family. Love between couples of all ages. It’s a universal story about being in the community and how everyone goes through everything together. It’s a unified group of people telling the story. You have the main characters. Everyone is in it together. It’s something we need a lot of now. To stick together through thick and thin. To remember the roots of your family. Don’t forget where you came from and don’t forget where you’re going. It’s heavily reminding us, appreciate what we have when we have it.”
What makes this version of “Our Town” unique is that there’s original music composed for it. Muenter said, “Keith Levenson wrote music for this production that I’m using. I can incorporate everyone on stage to embrace some of the moments that happen. Use the music to enhance. That’s something that’s a little different. No one heard this music before. It’s woven into the storyline. It makes sense that it’s there. It’s natural that it’s there.”
Tatum Thompson is one of the cast members and also in the ensemble. She’s a resident of Union and teaches at The Studio for Kids. She’s earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business management from Montclair State University, along with a minor in musical theater. Recent credits include Ndidi in Dragonfly Multicultural Arts’ production of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” and Dr. Voice in the original touring cast of “SoUNDz SaCRoSaNcT,” written, directed and choreographed by New Jersey’s own performing arts legend, Savion Glover.
Thompson, who will be playing “the woman in the balcony” and “the lady in the box,” said, “I am interrupting the action on stage. A devil’s advocate kind of character. She doesn’t have many lines, but the things she does say propel the story forward. In a roundabout way, I relate to the character.”
She sees the play as great, thoughtful and insightful. She said, “It’s so beautiful how we barely notice life as it’s happening. That’s a profound message. The play was first performed in 1938. The message is overly relevant today. It’s about the heart of life. The most important things are the people they spend their life with. These people don’t have a lot, but they have their loved ones and their routines.”
Thompson explains that the play isn’t flashy; there’s almost no scenery. She said, “We create locations, homes, buildings, different landscapes by using our bodies and sound effects. I’m proud of everybody in it and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
To purchase tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/our-town-an-american-theater-group-production-tickets-1542553572259?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Photo Courtesy of American Theater Group
