New Vintage Ensemble offers fresh take on ‘Our Town’ at Scranton Cultural Center April 27-May 5
From a press release:
For many, “Our Town” is a high school English class staple, but the New Vintage Ensemble, a regional theatre group dedicated to reinventing the familiar, is about to change the way you think about Grover’s Corners.
New Vintage Ensemble has announced an upcoming production of the American classic play “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder, presented in partnership with the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple by special arrangement with Samuel French.
The play will run Friday, April 27 through Saturday, May 5 at the SCC’s Shopland Hall (420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton).
The play, which enjoyed Broadway success and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama win, details the lives of the townspeople of fictional Grover’s Corners through the lens of a theatrical production. The Stage Manager serves as an omniscient narrator and guide, leading both the audience and the actors through the daily life, marriages, and deaths of the play’s characters. Brooks Atkinson, in a review in the New York Times, called “Our Town” “one of the finest achievements of the current stage… a hauntingly beautiful play.” “Our Town” originally premiered in 1938 and will be celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
Conor Kelly O’Brien, a founding member of the New Vintage Ensemble as well as the executive director of the Scranton Fringe Festival, serves as the director of this production.
“As the signature goal for all New Vintage Ensemble projects is to somehow reinvent the familiar, I am excited for us to be taking on this well-known piece of American theatre. While staying true to its original and universal themes, I am particularly interested in reframing the aesthetics and tone of the piece,” said O’Brien.
“We’re so thrilled to be working again with the Scranton Cultural Center,” said Mandy Pennington, ensemble member and marketing coordinator for “Our Town.” “They’ve been a fantastic partner to collaborate with. Audiences are going to love this fresh take.”
Showtimes are on Friday, April 27 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 28 at 8 p.m., Friday, May 4 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 5 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15 and will be available through Ticketmaster and at the Fidelity Bank Box Office at the SCC.
Founded in 2013, the New Vintage Ensemble is a collective of actors from Northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to producing innovative and interactive theater while helping the art community of the greater Scranton region thrive. Their distinctive style and passion for engaging audiences has resulted in award-winning and internationally-recognized productions (“Pride & Prejudice,” 2013), as well as regional premieres of original works.
The Scranton Cultural Center is a hub for cultural events, regional performances, and community engagement for all of NEPA. It plays host to national tours of Broadway musicals and concerts, as well as national and regional artists.
To keep up to date with upcoming performance announcements and future New Vintage Ensemble shows, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or visit newvintageensemble.com.
Watch or listen to Episode 48 of the NEPA Scene Podcast with NVE members Casey Thomas and Kimmie Leff to learn more about the theatre group and its recent production of the original play “#vanlife:”
