When Oregon Contemporary Theatre held auditions for a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, a record 100 actors of all ages showed up. The three directors of the play (yes, three) chose 19 of them, the largest cast OCT has ever featured. 

I’m not sure how the directors divided up their work, but the style seems so coherent and clearly understood that you’ll have no way of knowing who invented what. (Not to mention the contributions of 19 actors!)

The renowned playwright Edward Albee called Our Town the greatest American play ever written. What is it about Wilder’s most acclaimed work, the winner of the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for drama, that still captivates audiences young and old?

For me it’s the credible connection with the past and the essential social mores that have persisted to this day. Wilder wanted people to see how important it is to recognize the simple values of daily life, and to treat everyone respectfully. 

The privileged son of a diplomat, Wilder was born in Michigan and raised in several countries, including China. He spoke four languages, enlisted during World War I, and was educated in leading U.S. universities. Although he wrote Our Town on the brink of World War II, he set the action between 1901 and 1913. Clearly he was looking back to simpler times, before the Great Depression, just as we now look back, way back, from our worrisome viewpoint.

Our Town takes place in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire. Although fictional, it represents a typical New England town, nothing special, nor unusual. However, it’s surprising that Wilder makes virtually no mention of time-saving inventions that are soon to come. Nobody in town has a car during the years of the play. Milk is delivered with a horse-drawn wagon, and most work is accomplished by hand.

A character simply called the Stage Manager introduces us to the leading citizens, including Dr. Gibbs and his family, who live next door to Mr. Webb, the newspaper editor, and his family. The directors of this production, Brian Haimbach, Craig Willis and Inga Wilson, have designated two Stage Managers, played by Josh Simpson and Amy Robbins. 

Since the male characters are often out late delivering babies, or putting the newspaper to bed, it’s their wives we see efficiently running the household. They are the CEOs of the family, and they don’t even have the vote! 

Those who have seen previous productions of Our Town will know that much of the plot focuses on the growing love between high school sweethearts George Gibbs and Emily Webb, tenderly portrayed here by Chago Gause and Zayne Clayton. Erica Towe as Mrs. Gibbs and Vanessa Greenway as Mrs. Webb are excellent, as usual. Both Scott Machado as Dr. Gibbs, and Ben Minnis as Mr. Webb, are touching in their love and confusion as their children grow up. Pablo Aleman and Zoey Mayhew are exuberant as the younger members of the families.

Alexander Holmes engenders sympathy as Simon Stimson, the drunken choir director. Jessica Jae Unker makes a prissy professor, and Sharon Sless gives us a funny and radiant Mrs. Soames. Akash Dhruva gets chuckles as the milkman with his invisible horse. Tom Moseman is notable as Constable Warren, as is Steve Wehmeier as an undertaker. Henry Mainwaring and Teddy Skyler play brothers, and Garrhett Nelson portrays Sam Craig.

Wilder highlighted his characters by insisting upon virtually no scenery except for tables and chairs that can be easily moved. The three-act play moves along briskly and lasts about two hours and 10 minutes with two short intermissions. Each act is set in a different period. If you’re like me, you’ll be in tears by the third act, but happy that you’ve seen this timeless gem.

When I was coming into the theater I heard a man behind me say, “I must be one of three people in the United States who has never seen this play.” I think that might have been true a generation ago, back when nearly every high school performed it at some point, but now I’m finding more people who haven’t heard of it. It is an old play, after all, but not old enough to die.

Our Town plays Oregon Contemporary Theatre through June 1. Times and tickets through the OCT ticket office at 541-465-1506 or OCTheatre.org.