Darlington to present “Our Town”
By Shelley Daniel - Faculty
Timeless reflections on life, love, and community take center stage as Darlington’s Fine Arts Department and the Darlington Players present Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize–winning classic, "Our Town." This acclaimed story of small-town life will come to life Oct. 16–18 in the Zelle Black Box Theatre on campus. Showtimes are 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Set in the fictional small town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, "Our Town" uses minimal props and a meta-theatrical Stage Manager to explore the universal human experience through three distinct acts: Daily Life, Love and Marriage, and Death and Eternity. The play follows the neighboring Gibbs and Webb families as their children, George and Emily, grow up, fall in love, and navigate the poignancy of everyday moments.
"The cast and crew are excited to present such an influential and classic play for our community," said Theatre Director Shelley Daniel. "At its heart, 'Our Town' reminds us to appreciate the ordinary, everyday moments of life before they pass us by. It’s a beautiful and moving story that leaves the audience with a deeper appreciation for one another."
Students in the Stagecraft class worked tirelessly behind the scenes to design, construct, and bring the physical set of the show to life. Featuring a dedicated ensemble of Upper School students, the cast brings together returning performers and welcomes new faces to the stage. To prepare for the play's unique staging requirements, the cast began with an in-depth study of pantomime, learning to portray everyday objects and routines convincingly without physical props. Through rigorous character work and physical theatre techniques, the student actors deliver honest, thoughtful performances that highlight the profound beauty in everyday moments.
Audiences are invited into a world of everyday routines—milk deliveries, morning breakfast on the stove—where they will meet local gossips, baseball-playing youth, and a choirmaster harboring a secret sorrow. At the heart of the story, young neighbors George Gibbs and Emily Webb journey from childhood friendship to romance, marriage, and beyond, uniting two families. Thornton Wilder (1897–1975), the only writer to earn Pulitzers in both drama and fiction, received one of his awards for this masterpiece. Its poignant portrayal of universal human connection shows that our need for community transcends time and circumstance, reminding us how deeply our lives are intertwined.
Reserve tickets to the show of your choice by clicking the links below:
Cast:
Han Nguyen - Stage Manager, Joe and Si Crowell, Mrs. Forrest, Baseball Player
Jacey Ward - Stage Manager, Rebecca Gibbs, Stew Morgan
Jane Wei - Stage Manager, Minister Ferguson
Anastasia Shearer - Stage Manager, Constable Warren, Sam Craig, Wally Webb
Jesse Meredith - Stage Manager, Howie Newsome, Joe Stoddard, Baseball Player
Sara Jo Pierce - Emily Webb
Cooper Laliberte - George Gibbs
Caroline Sawhill - Myrtle Webb
Davis Pewitt - Charles Webb
Abby Kate Jackson - Julia Gibbs
Phineas Pollard - Dr. Frank Gibbs
Jordan Dillard - Louella Soames
Julian Lansdell - Simon Stimson
Ashley Will - Professor Willard
Zoia Akande - Mrs. Corcoran, Ensemble
Madison Thornton - Mrs. McCarty, Ensemble
Savannah Loveless - Mamie Cartwright, Ensemble, Crew
Lauren Saye - Mrs. Slocum, Ensemble, Crew
Mary Nguyen - Mrs. Carter, Ensemble, Crew
Staff and Technical Booth:
Millie Cross - Production and Company Manager
Ella Peer - Production and Costume Manager
Yimika Bunmi-Adedayo - Production and Stage Manager
Callie Eady - Production and Technical Manager, Light Board
Macaela Davis - Sound Board
Crew: Eros Xu, Savannah Loveless, Lauren Saye, Mary Nguyen
Stagecraft: Zara Balogun, Makinley Barton, Furkan Celikors, Clara Leigh Davis, Hung Do, Jasmine Graham, DJ Hall, Fabian Jaros, Chance Mayfield, Case O'Hearn, Connor O'Nan, Joseph Ogunyemi, Phineas Pollard, Fran Romero Alonso, Jakob Tesmer, Jordan Wilkerson
