Fringe Theater Key West opens its new season with Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Our Town.” The American classic, which runs Nov. 17-21 at the Key West Armory, 600 White St., reminds audiences that the most extraordinary moments in life are often the ones we overlook.
On an island where neighbors become friends and friends often become family, Wilder’s portrait of community feels close to home, states a press release from Fringe. In the intimate black-box theater, where actors and audiences share the same small space, those connections become even more apparent.
“I wanted to start with a play that reminds us how deeply our lives are connected,” said Rebecca Tomlinson, Fringe’s managing artistic director. “We tend to think of our lives as individual stories, but Wilder shows us we’re part of something much larger. Every person, every encounter, every seemingly ordinary moment contributes to the life of a community. And in a place like Key West, where our lives intersect in so many wonderful ways, that feels especially meaningful.”
Within weeks of its 1938 premier, “Our Town” was promoted to Broadway, where it ran for over 330 performances. The play remains one of the most frequently produced works in American theater.
Fringe will present its production in the play’s signature style: actors pantomime everyday activities, scenery is largely imagined and a character known as the Stage Manager speaks directly to the audience. Mariah Woessner will play Emily Webb with Davis Stack as George Gibbs, the young couple whose lives anchor the story. Adrienne Leggett, Barbara Mundy, Bob Garver, Chris Massicotte, Dan Dempsey, Diane May, Jamal Edwards, Samantha Laskey, Sarah Goodwin, Scott Shambaugh, Tim Dahms and Wayne Dapser complete the cast. The production team includes Tomlinson, Aramis Ikatu and Kendall Cameron. Lauren Thompson is the show’s movement director.
Tickets are available at keystix.com or by calling the box office at 305-295-7676. Seating is limited. Performances begin at 7 p.m.
More information is at fringetheater.org. Fringe Theater Key West is a nonprofit dedicated to creating unique opportunities for people to see and do theater.
