The word-pair “invisible string” is quite common to the belief that what was meant for someone, was always meant to be. However, in Gordon’s theatrical production “Our Town”, the string was physically evident, tied in some characters’ hair, a wedding ring, on their clothes, and carefully hand-knit together at the opening of the play.
There were no props, none that were not made out of string. Dr. Gibbs (played by Terrence Fevrier ‘28) read the air from his outstretched hands, the daily paper envisioned in his sight. Mrs. Webb (played by Jocelyn Hoffman ‘25) crafted an imaginary breakfast for her children, whom ate with only the motions of their hands, a fork and spoon pretended to be seen. In Gordon’s rendition of the production, the sting was used for the structure of the buildings, laid on the ground as a foundation. And, how symbolic for a small piece of yarn as the foundation of what the characters live in.
The production, pulled from truths of Ecclesiastes 9, opens the audience to the reality of life after death (in Act II especially). If unfamiliar with the book of Ecclesiates, it consistently holds the theme that life is fleeting and meaningless. The production mimics that, paired with a ‘where-is-this-going’ factor until the final scene. It follows the lives of average characters, in an average town, on average days; meaningless…yet so familiar to the audiences brought into the showtimes November 1st through the 9th.
One of the many significant roles, Emily Webb played by Gretchen Munter ‘26, is brought face to face (literally) with a screened-view of her colored past in the final scene. Emily watches her life after death in full detail, noticing the beauty of her mother, the hands of her father, the details of her childhood home, and the sweetness of her twelfth birthday. To the audience, this is the moment where the pieces of the play make sense. The characters’ outfits stay the same throughout the entire production: bland, brown cover-alls. There is no built town and no knowledge of what the setting looks like except for from the words of the Stage Manager role, played by Gordon’s Department Chair of Theatre Arts, Norm Jones. The last scene makes it clear: we as a people aren’t aware of the goodness that makes up our lives’ until it’s gone. Directors Kimberly LaCroix and Jill Rogati put it this way: “‘Our Town’ reminds of our capacity to hold both joy and grief, as we look toward a time unraveled from it all.”
A string is simple yet holds the ability to be crafted into functional things like a sweater or a scarf.
Our lives are simple, yet you hold the ability to craft meaning into your own life. In fact, the meaning is already there, but it’s up to you to notice it before it’s gone.
The production closes with all of the characters who have made it to death, unraveling the knit of sweaters, hats, scarfs, and vests. Just as their lives were unraveled, the materialistic symbols are undone, representing the fact that what is built on Earth crumbles before you know. Though Gordon’s “Our Town” holds painful elements, it is a rather joyful reminder of the gifts God has so graciously knitted into our lives. We walk through life without realizing the strengths of the colors around us or the beauty of our own families’ smiles. It is a choice every morning to wake up and be grateful of our surroundings.
Ecclesiastes 9 writes, “Don’t spare the ointment on your hair. Enjoy life with someone you love and all the days allotted to you under the sun. All these days of illusion. This is your lot in life…whatever you choose to do, do with all the drive you have. There will be no sense of accomplishment, pride, learning, or wisdom in the grave. And the grave, after all, is where you are going.”
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