Our Town  by Thornton Wilder
Sep 26 – Oct 22, 2017
Directed by Sheryl Kaller
Co-Produced with Deaf West Theatre

Wilder’s journal notes for 1935 include ideas for ten plays, among them “M Marries N” (an early working title for Our Town). He began to work in earnest on the play in 1936 after resigning from his post as a part-time visiting lecturer in Classics and Writing at the University of Chicago.

After short try-outs in Princeton and Boston, the play opened on Broadway on February 4, 1938 to mostly favorable reviews, with Wilder playing the role of the Stage Manager for two weeks of the play’s run in September. Our Town garnered Wilder a second Pulitzer Prize and the play became a classic not only in American theatre, but in classrooms across the country. 

Thornton Wilder, Our Town: A Play in Three Acts, acting edition was published in 1939 by New York, Coward-McCann, Inc., in cooperation with S. French, Inc.

View  manuscript corrections of Our Town by Thornton Wilder.  (Thornton Wilder Papers   at  Beinecke Library, Yale University  ) . 

The play was  produced at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1939 by  Dir. Frank Ferguson
and in  1957 by  Dir. Barney Brown.​
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Meet  the cast of current production of Our Town. 

On October 8, 2017, Amos Tappan Wilder, a nephew of T. Wilder, has visited the  Pasadena  Playhouse and  attended  the  performance.  During Playhouse Talk on October 9th, he  offered an intimate look into the life of the playwright  and discussed his role as Literary Executor of the Thornton Wilder  Estate.  The  talk was  moderated by KPCC’s John Horn.

Broadway World Review  (Oct. 3, 2017): Time Passes and Life Goes On in Deaf West Theatre's 'Our Town' at Pasadena Playhouse

Los Angeles Times Review (Oct. 3, 2017): Deaf West and Pasadena Playhouse populate 'Our Town' with fresh faces .  By  Charles McNulty. 

Broadway World Interview  (Oct. 5, 2017): Jane Kaczmarek Stage Managing Her Future With Open & Always Entertaining Communications.

Pasadena Playhouse and Deaf West Make “Our Town” New Again. By Frances Baum Nicholson  (The  Stage  Struck  Review). 

New York Times (Oct. 13, 2017):  An ‘Our Town’ Image as Sturdy as a Chair: Behind the Poster. By Erik Piepenburg .  Interview with  Paula  Sher.

Los Angeles  Theatre  playgoers  reviews.

Our Town  Reviewed by Dana Martin  (Stage  Raw). 

On Saturday, December 10, 2016 the Friends of the Pasadena Playhouse had sponsored a table at the 96th Annual Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony & Winter Arts & Crafts Festival in Altadena. Patti La Marr had organized volunteer help, managed communications with the Altadena Public Library Foundation   and Chamber of Commerce, and decorated a  table.

A dedicated crew of seven Friends worked in shifts from 2 pm to 7 pm. They distributed the Pasadena Playhouse advertisements and flyers featuring an Altadena Public Library Foundation fundraiser. Anyone, who purchases a ticket for A Cinderella Christmas using the discount code ALF, receives a 20% discount. The Altadena Library Foundation receives 10% of from ticket sales purchased with the code. It is a good deal for a great cause: you can support your local library and get to see the Panto. 

The Friends  invited guests at the festival to sign up for an opportunity drawing for a free family pack of tickets for “A Cinderella Christmas” that was sponsored by The Playhouse. A winner  will receive four tickets, 2 adult and 2 children's,  for the show.  

​A Cinderella character, who was sponsored by the theatre,  greeted guests of the festival. The minute this lovely lady arrived, she charmed kids and adults alike. Everyone wanted to take a picture with the Cinderella! Even Santa could not pass this opportunity. 
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Many people enjoyed this event and had a chance to hear about The Playhouse. We hope they come to see  the show  and have a wonderful time!

Special thanks to hostesses and  hosts  of this event:
K. Barrows, D. Basillo, A. Frey, P. Oliva, N.Pashkova, P. Marr, and L. Yu (The Friends of the Pasadena Playhouse), Armanie Miranda, Marketing and Communications Assistant at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Cinderella, the Friends of the Altadena Public Library and the Altadena Public Library  Foundation, and  Christmas Tree Lane Association, Altadena, CA.

* The article and photos courtesy of N. Pashkova.