The GhostLight Theater in Benton Harbor will kick off its new season this Thursday with the classic play, Our Town.
GhostLight manager Paul Mow tells us Our Town is set in the fictional small town of Grover’s Corners and follows the everyday lives of its citizens between 1901 and 1913.
“Our Town is a fantastic piece of theater, an American staple, and it’s just such a beautiful piece of our community,” Mow said. “Our director is an incredible pedagogue and dramaturge, and she comes from New Haven, Connecticut. Her name is Ashley Coia, and she, along with her directing team, assistant director Paige Mulick, and the stage managers have crafted this beautiful piece. It’s maybe the most immersive piece of theater we’ve ever had. Our audience sits amongst the cast, the cast sits amongst the audience. If you ever wanted to feel like you’re part of the show, this is the one to see.”
And Mow says Our Town is a sweet play, something that’s family friendly and should please just about anyone.
“It reveals the beauty and the fragility of ordinary moments, which we still have a lot of today, but obviously this was a time where there was no social media, and all we had was each other and word of mouth and our faith and things like that. And the playwright, Thornton Wilder, strips the stage to bare essentials. It’s done with very few props, all done in pantomime.”
This production of Our Town features an eclectic cast.
“A lot of these folks have been in pieces of theater in the area for 20, 30 years. Whether it’s Twin City Players or other stages, Beckwith…We also brought in a couple of actors from Northwest Indiana, a couple from Chicago.”
Mow says Our Town will run for two weekends at the GhostLight, and then they’ll take it on the road for two nights at The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks. Tickets are still available and he hopes everyone comes to see the production.
Attendees will also be asked to share a wish, a hope, or a dream for Benton Harbor, and the words will be sealed into a time capsule at the end of the production’s run to be discovered years from now.
You can get tickets to Our Town at the GhostLight Theater in Benton Harbor online now.
