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.​
​
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). 

 The Friends  will be  working  at the Showcase House for the Arts from April  23  through  May 21, 2017.   Sharon  Zaslaw and  Sue Hayne-Horn are  our coordinators. Friends of the Friends can also  sign-up and  volunteer at  this  event.

What a pleasant surprise to discover that  this year’s Showcase House  has a
​Pasadena Playhouse connection!  ​
​
Samuel S. Hinds was involved with the Pasadena Community Playhouse from the beginning.  His first appearance was at the Savoy Theatre in 1917.  He performed in over 50 productions with The Pasadena Community Playhouse.  

In 1924, Hinds served on the Board of Directors for the Pasadena Community Playhouse during its successful drive to raise funds to construct the beautiful Spanish Colonial-style Pasadena Playhouse Theatre.

Hinds starred in The Amethyst, at the Pasadena Community Playhouse Opening Night Gala, on May 18, 1925, and performed as author Harold Brown, in the Premiere.   He continued performing at The Playhouse through 1930.  

His film career spanned over 16 years and he appeared in over 200 films. To learn more  about his career ,  please  read  Mary Mallory's article "Hollywood Heights: Samuel S. Hinds, Pasadena Playhouse Founder, Movie Actor."
​

 The two-story English Tudor revival-style house of Samuel Hinds, located in Pasadena.  Photo by F.W. Martin   (1920). Source: California State Library Picture Collection. 

 On December 27th,  at 9 p.m. PST CBC broadcasted the Kennedy Center Honors 2016 .  Al Pacino, star in the production of "God Looked Away," at the Pasadena Playhouse  was honored.

The event, which was hosted by The Late Show's own  Stephen Colbert  on Dec. 4, paid tribute to 2016's honorees, including pianist  Martha Argerich, rock legends  The Eagles, actor Al Pacino, gospel and blues singer Mavis Staples, and singer-songwriter 
James Taylor.

Below, find the full list of talent at this year's Kennedy Center Honors , and tune in to CBS on Tuesday, Dec. 27!  (Courtesy of the CBS News).

Host:  Stephen Colbert

Attended By:  President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

Honoree:  James Taylor

Tribute Presenters/Performers:
President William Jefferson Clinton (Spoken Tribute)
Darius Rucker (Performs "Sweet Baby James"/"Carolina in My Mind")
Sheryl Crow (Performs "Fire & Rain"/"Your Smiling Face")
Yo-Yo Ma (Spoken Tribute)
Garth Brooks (Performs "Shower the People")
James Taylor Tribute Cast (Performs "How Sweet It Is")

Honoree:  Al Pacino
Tribute Presenters/Performers:
Chris O'Donnell (Spoken Tribute and Tango Performance from "Scent of a Woman" with Gabrielle Anwar)
Bobby Cannavale (Spoken Tribute)
Lily Rabe (Performance Tribute)
Laurence Fishburne (Performance Tribute)
Kevin Spacey (Spoken Tribute)
Gabrielle Anwar (Tango Performance from "Scent of a Woman" with Chris O'Donnell)
Sean Penn (Spoken Tribute)

Honoree:  Mavis Staples
Tribute Presenters/Performers:
Bonnie Raitt (Spoken Tribute and Performance of "We Shall Not Be Moved"/"Freedom Highway" with Andra Day)
Elle King (Performs "Respect Yourself"/"I’ll Take You There")
Don Cheadle (Spoken Tribute)
Andra Day (Performs "We Shall Not Be Moved"/"Freedom Highway" with Bonnie Raitt)

Honoree:  Martha Argerich
Tribute Presenters/Performers:
Jeff Goldblum (Spoken Tribute)
Itzhak Perlman (Performs "Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 8, in G, Op. 30, No. 3. Allegro Vivace (Third Movement)" with Yefim Bronfman)
Yefim Bronfman (Performs "Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 8, in G, Op. 30, No. 3. Allegro Vivace (Third Movement)" with Itzhak Perlman)
Placido Domingo (Spoken Tribute)
Yuja Wang (Performs "Piazzola Grand Tango")

John F. Kennedy Tribute Segment:
Jack Schlossberg, Rose Schlossberg and Tatiana Schlossberg Grandchildren of John F. Kennedy (Spoken Tribute)
Cynthia Erivo (Performs "The Impossible Dream" from the Broadway musical "Man of La Mancha")

Honoree:  The Eagles
Tribute Presenters/Performers:
Ringo Starr (Spoken Tribute)
Kings of Leon (Performs "Take It Easy")
Vince Gill (Performs "Peaceful Easy Feeling")
Bob Seger (Performs "Heartache Tonight")
Juanes (Performs "Hotel California" with Steve Vai and Steuart Smith)
Steve Vai (Performs "Hotel California" with Juanes and Steuart Smith)
Steuart Smith (Performs "Hotel California" with Juanes and Steve Vai)
Eagles Tribute Cast (Performs "Life in the Fast Lane")

Produced By:  White Cherry Entertainment.

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. 
​
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.