Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town' Comes Home

14:29

December 07, 2012

Director David Cromer and the cast of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" at the Huntington Theatre Company. (Paul Marotta)

The wedding in "Our Town" is based on the wedding of Thornton Wilder's brother. In this 1935 photo, Thornton's brother Amos Wilder (left) stands with his bride Catharine Kerlin (center) and Thornton Wilder himself (right). (Courtesy of the Wilder Family LLC and YCAL)

When Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" premiered in Boston in 1938 before heading to Broadway, it tanked. These days, it's a classic. The play about small town New England life is performed every night of the year somewhere in America.

Now, 75 years after that premier, "Our Town" is back in Boston at The Huntington Theatre Company with a large cast of local actors playing the citizens of Grover's Corners. David Cromer, a MacArthur genius grant recipient, directs the production and challenges some our long-held notions about the play.

Tappan Wilder, Thornton Wilder's nephew, joins Radio Boston to reflect on the longevity of "Our Town" and to share his thoughts on Cromer's interpretation of his uncle's famous play.

We also get a preview of the play from WBUR's Andrea Shea.

Guest:

Tappan Wilder, nephew of Thornton Wilder and executor of the late playwright's estate

More:

Read Tappan Wilder's Afterword to "Our Town" -- PDF. (Reprinted courtesy of Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.)

This segment aired on December 7, 2012.