A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Our Play

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  6w, 5m, 3gnc (adult)

A glimpse into the lives of high school students as they mount a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, mirroring the classic’s style and structure in three acts: rehearsal, opening night and the unexpected tragedy that follows. A beautiful inspection of the hopes and fears of growing into a life.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 5m, 3gnc (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2023 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival 

Details

Summary
Uh, hi. Yeah.
Welcome to... this play that we're doing. Our Town. We're gonna show you some... well, like, I’m just going to show you around our rehearsal. We go up in a month. We're not ready. But here we are.

Our Play captures the lives of high school students as they mount a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, mirroring the classic’s style and structure in three acts: rehearsal, opening night and the tragic school shooting that follows. A beautiful inspection of high school adolescence, community in a high school theatre, and the hopes and fears of growing into a life.
History
Winner of the 2024 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival, which honors new American plays providing dynamic performance opportunities for college-aged actors, Our Play premiered at the Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theater at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Giardeau, Missouri on March 1, 2024.
BECKY – The show’s real stage manager. 16. Organized. Shy. Much happier behind the scenes than onstage. Feels tremendous pressure to succeed.
MARY – Mrs. Gibbs. 16. Character actor who wishes she was an ingénue, in life and on stage. Insecure. Her dark side scares her, even though most people would not realize she has one. Very ambitious, dreams of being a serious theatrical actor. Extremely sensitive. Allison’s best friend? In love for the first time.
SAM – Rebecca Gibbs. 16. Nonbinary, uses they/them pronouns. An artist. Some kind of ‘dark’ aesthetic – this could be goth, this could be punk, this could just be that they like horror movies or Edward Gorey’s art. Introspective, startlingly wise, confident enough to be still, confident enough to be different, confident enough to be themself. Was in a traumatic school incident in 8th grade.
WILL – Dr. Gibbs. 17. Athlete with performance ability. A positive thinker. Charmed and charming. A little bit of a golden boy, or at least a golden aura. Elastic and loose-limbed, like a slinky.
ANTON – Howie Newsome. 16. Close to an online community. Tried out because DJ did. A gamer. Analytical. A follower at this point in his life, but starting to think he could be a leader.
REID – Constable Warren. 17. Recently got in trouble for stealing equipment from the school gym. He might be doing the play as a punishment, or at the suggestion/mandate of a guidance counsellor. Huge, huge baggage. Impulsive, intimidating, prone to explosion, but softer than he lets on.
ALLISON – Emily. 16. A class clown who occupies the position of a cool girl: a unicorn. People tend to think she has no problems, and she and wants to keep it that way. As ambitious as, and constantly in competition with Mary, who is her best friend.
TAYLOR – Stage Manager. 17. This role can be cast male, female or nonbinary; pronouns can change as appropriate. Cannot take a compliment, though she deeply craves them. Terrified of failure. Struggles with dissociation. Scared, but yearns to reveal a deep silliness, giddiness – anything vulnerable.
SABREENA – Simon Stimson. 16. Wants to fit in. Deeply loving. Intense difficulty with school (recently diagnosed ADHD) but doesn’t tell anyone about it. Disorganized, but extremely capable; hyper-focused when she cares about something.
DJ – Mr. Webb. 17. This role can be cast male, female or nonbinary; pronouns can change as appropriate. Stoner philosopher. Doesn’t have to study to make excellent grades. A lover of beauty; desires experience. Lonelier than he lets on.
CLAIRE – Mrs. Webb. 17. Emily’s best friend since grade four. Very insecure about cystic acne. Swim team; has non-stop wet hair, and her acne is aggravated by the chlorine. She regularly hits her cheeks, or licks the backs of her hands and puts them on her cheeks, to try and stop the burning feeling.
GREG – George Gibbs. 16. Loud. Appears confident. A vicious and cultivated sense of fashion. Pop culture expert, but has great throwback knowledge for movies, fashion, dances, music of the past (particularly club kid culture). Physically not dominant, but dominates every room he’s in.
EMILY – Mrs. Soames. 17. Claire’s best friend since grade four. Wants to be a doctor. Extremely studious and grades-focused. Has a 10-year plan, and it requires getting into a top college. Doing the play to boost extracurriculars. From a wealthier family than most of the others.
COOKIE – Joe Crowell. 17. First play ever. Hockey player. Quiet until he’s not. His dad recently passed away from cancer. Has the aura of someone who has lived through a tragedy – but is that just what everyone is putting on him?
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting A high school theatre before, during and after a production. Present day.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes
    • Smoking
    • Violence

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

Jessica Moss

Jessica Moss is a performer, writer and producer from Toronto, Canada. She currently lives in New York City, where she is a Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellow at The Juilliard School. She is the creator/performer of solo shows Modern Love (Next Stage Festival, Toronto), ...

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