BY LAUREN MATTHEW
Staff Writer
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY COLLEGE “Our Town” is being performed at the new Studio Theater at Middlesex County College. (From left) Erin McCourt, of Edison, who plays the part of Emily Webb; Andrew Young, of Old Bridge, who plays George Gibbs; and Barry Prag, of Ocean Township, who plays the stage manager. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Limited tickets are available. Call (732) 906-2589. Grover’s Corners has come to Middlesex County College.
The college’s production of “Our Town” is the first show to be performed in the Justice Studio Theatre, a state-of-the-art facility built recently at the Performing Arts Center of the Edison campus.
The theater still needs to be “broken in,” said play director and college professor Lynn Winik. But her cast is doing a good job of that.
Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about life in the small New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners at the beginning of the 20th century was Winik’s first choice for a performance.
“It really is a slice of life,” she said of the show, which breaks convention by having the “stage manager” tell the audience about the characters, philosophize about everyday life and shape the scenes.
The production involves professional set, costume and lighting designers, Winik said, as well as student performers and community members taking turns on stage.
“Our auditions are open to the community at large, as well as the students,” she said.
The result is a mixed bag of performers. And the reason behind that is simple, she joked.
“I don’t believe in trying to make an 18-year-old look like they’re 60,” she said.
“Our Town” cast members range from theater veterans to first-time performers.
And the actors are performing in a theater-in-the-round setting – something that is more challenging than standard proscenium theater, Winik noted.
For Andrew Young, an Old Bridge resident and sophomore at Middlesex County College, “Our Town” has been a lesson in theater arts.
“This is my first play,” Young said.
He is involved with improvisational comedy on campus. He and some friends actually auditioned for the play almost as a joke, he said.
Young got the lead. And he couldn’t be happier about that.
“I really enjoy it,” he said.
The show has forced him to think of performing in ways other than those used for improv.
“With this, I had to learn and develop a character over time,” Young said.
Rehearsals for “Our Town” spanned a month. Young also worked with other actors outside of rehearsal to get certain scenes down.
Young said he was pleasantly surprised at the professionalism of the cast and crew. He joked that he was expecting the show to be more like a high school production.
“I didn’t realize how talented the people really are,” he said.
Young said he may have found a new pastime – for life – though he still intends to pursue a career in law.
The show began its run last weekend and will continue this weekend. “Our Town” will be performed at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 for Middlesex County students, senior citizens and staff, and $7 for the general public. To reserve seats, call (732) 906-2589.
The theater is located at 2600 Woodbridge Ave., Edison.