Thornton Wilder’s American Classic Complements July 4 Celebrations
 
(Chautauqua, NY) Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch and Managing Director Sarah Clare Corporandy, presents Thornton Wilder’s Our Town from July 3 through July 12 on the Bratton Stage.

Directed by Paul Mullins (CTC’s You Can’t Take It With You), the cast is lead by Broadway’s Manu Narayan (Bombay Dreams) as the Stage Manager. Conservatory Actors Audrey Corsa (The Juilliard School) and Myles Bullock (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill) make their Chautauqua Theater Company debuts as Emily Webb and George Gibbs. Michael Potts (television’s “True Detective” and Broadway’s The Book of Mormon, Grey Gardens, and Lennon) will portray Dr. Gibbs with Carol Halstead (CTC’s Philadelphia Story and You Can’t Take It With You, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man on Broadway) playing Mrs. Gibbs in her eleventh season with the company. CTC Associate Artistic Director Andrew Borba (CTC’s Arcadia, All My Sons, and Frankenstein and Dracula) returns to the stage as Mr. Webb accompanied by Sheila Tousey (Film: Thunderheart, Drama Desk Nominee for Acting: Efiginia and Other Daughter, Producer: Christmas in the Clouds,) as Mrs. Webb in her Chautauqua Theater Company debut.

Grover’s Corner Springs to Life in CHQ

Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning masterpiece tells the story of life in turn of the 20th century Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire. Heartwarming and groundbreaking, Wilder’s observations about who we are and what matters most are still as profound and as true today as when he first put pen to paper in 1938. Traditional props and scenery are replaced by minimalist surroundings that inspire the imagination, while the familiar proscenium seating of Bratton Theater is transformed to place the audience on two sides of the stage. “We’ve re-imagined our performance space in a way that allows the audience to truly become part of the experience. You get to be immersed in the world of Grover’s Corner, and in doing so, you recognize how timeless this great play is,” says CTC’s Benesch.

The creative team includes Lee Savage (Set) who previously collaborated with Director Paul Mullins on CTC’s production of You Can’t Take It With You, Andrea Hood (Costumes), Seth Reiser (Lighting) and Brandon Reed (Sound). Jenny Kennedy is Production Stage Manager.

The Perfect Time for an American Classic

With a special performance on 4th of July at 2:15 pm, Our Town is the perfect way to kick off holiday festivities.
Audiences can enjoy one of the best American plays ever written in America’s Best Small Town: CHQ. “The beautiful thing about this play is that it is so universal. You’re in a different place in life now than you were when you might have seen another version of it years ago. This production will speak to you in a new way. No play resonates more with what it means to be human than Our Town,” explains Director Paul Mullins.

Tickets for Our Town are $35 and are on sale now. Performances are July 3 through July 12. For more information, please visit www.ctcompany.org.

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About Chautauqua Theater Company
Dedicated to the next generation of theater artists, the development of new work, first-rate productions of modern and contemporary classics, and fresh insight into Shakespeare’s canon, CTC produces the best of a year-round regional theater within an eight week summer season as the resident theater of the Chautauqua Institution. Chautauqua Theater Company is where the finest theater artists of tomorrow bridge the gap between their training and the professional world.

About Chautauqua Institution
The pre-eminent expression of lifelong learning in the United States, Chautauqua Institution is a 140-year-old community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities.