An Analysis of Thornton Wilder's Play "Our Town"

Analytical Essay # 1231

Drama and Theater > American

A look at the absence of scenery in "Our Town" and what this means to the play.

980 words () | 0 sources | 2000 United States

Paper Summary:

A thorough analysis of the play "Our Town" and its scenery. The essay details the effect of Thornton Wilder's absence of scenery and its overall significance in the entire play.

From the Paper:

"...While such wonders of stage gain new ground, a desperate few still hunger for substance, for a play whose power comes from its characters rather than its fashionable trappings. Only one play, one in the few to have gained success on Broadway, fulfills these criteria, quaintly titled "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. It is a simple drama of two lovers living an ordinary life in a simple town (Grover's Corners), a unique topic in itself, but it possesses one other baffling characteristic: it lacks anything but crude scenery. This dearth forces the audience to concentrate on the play's message of simplicity; this absence compels the audience to view it with a calm detachment that breeds an inescapable conclusion."

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APA Citation:

An Analysis of Thornton Wilder's Play "Our Town" (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Analytical-Essay-An-Analysis-of-Thornton-Wilder's-Play-Our-Town/1231

MLA Citation:

"An Analysis of Thornton Wilder's Play "Our Town"" 15 January 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.academon.com/Analytical-Essay-An-Analysis-of-Thornton-Wilder's-Play-Our-Town/1231>