Latest Milford Cabinet Article

Up Close and Personal With The Technical Staff of Our Town
By Janine Leffler



Have you ever sat in the audience during a play and wondered what goes on behind the scenes in order to make the show run smoothly? Of course the actors spend endless hours learning their lines and rehearsing , but those who work behind the scenes should not go unnoticed. They also deserve credit for bringing the shows we see to life.
Milford Area Players opens their fall main stage production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town on October 15th. I spoke to many people involved in the play to get their insights, inspirations and challenges.
When it came to choosing Our Town for their fall production Set Designer Deb Shaw said “Our Town" was a very logical choice for MAP. As an organization, we blend our seasons with various genres of theatre: light comedy, drama, mystery, "dramedy", farce, and classics. In 2004 we staged Wilder's "Skin of Our Teeth", which is a bit less accessible but also a classic and an award-winning play. "Our Town" has not been staged at the community theatre "level" in many years and with our location in the southwestern area of the state, it seemed a good fit for Milford Area Players. It is the only drama and only classic of our 2010 mainstage season, and has a much larger cast than our other productions this year, providing opportunities for more actors to work with MAP. Grovers Corner is Milford, NH for the purposes of this production, and we are excited to welcome the community to 'our town'.”
Vicky Sandin was excited to take on the role of director when the original director had to bow out. She stated “What I look forward to the most with each rehearsal is directing actors who are at the top of their game. I love actors and have a tremendous respect for their craft, because I know I could never do it. I have seen the work of most of the actors in Our Town, and I have also worked with many of them on separate projects, so I'm familiar with how meticulously they study their part and process their character. I love working with them to glean the best of what they have to offer, and in the process attempt to push them outside their comfort zone a bit, to stretch their actor muscles, as it were.: She went on to say “ I am glad I accepted the job to direct. It’s going to be a great show.”
When Set Designer Deb Shaw was asked about the technical aspects of the show she said “As far as the set, the most important part is creating a physical representation of the director's vision of the show. Vicky had a very clear idea of how she wanted the show staged, and it was my responsibility to find a way to express that and stay within the limits of a community theatre budget. I'm fortunate to have a husband who has built MANY sets in the southern NH theatre community, so I was able to hand my plans over to him knowing that the set pieces would be built with the precision and care that I needed. We looked at what dimensions and materials would give the look and feel of the show to every piece constructed and that the overall effect would be cohesive”

Stage Manager Mayer Lipman said that the biggest challenge for the show technically has been
Thornton Wilder left it up to the audience (and trusted them) to "fill in the gaps" with how the town looks, what the homes look like, where the scenery is, etc. It's up to our actors to help them out. With a little furniture, some lighting changes, and a few sound effects, the technical staff staff does the rest. We've chosen to use even less sound effects than Wilder allowed, trusting our audience and our actors even more. That said, we have to be very precise with what we have. Furniture has to placed in exactly the right spot. Sounds have to occur at precisely the right time” Lipman contimued by saying “In community theater, everyone has "their real job," either working, maintaining a household, or going to school. "Our Town" has a cast of almost 25, each with a schedule of when he or she can come to the theater and prior commitments he or she cannot ignore. I had the joy of watching this large cast of individuals work around these conflicts and transform themselves into the town of Grover's Corners. During rehearsals, I often had to fill in for one or more roles when an actor was unable to be there. It's a good feeling when you know you can do that in a way that doesn't distract the actors around you. It's also good to know you can pass on good blocking notes and other notes from the director to the absent actor such that the next time the scene is rehearsed you don't have to start all over again”


Weather on stage or behind the company of Our Town looks forward to putting on the show and hopes that patrons enjoy it. Our Town runs from Oct 15-24th at the Amato Center for The Performing Arts in Milford. Evening shows are at 7:30pm and matinee performances are at 2pm. Come out and support your local thespians.