Our Town

I was first introduced to the play “Our Town” in class; Professor Devine showed the class the beginning of “Our Town” and this play was nothing like any play I’ve ever seen before. I’m from New York City so, of course I’ve been to Broadway plays before I’ve seen the Lion King, Matilda, Annie, you name it but nothing ever before like “Our Town”. I was opened to expanding my horizons to a different kind of play but no props? What is a play without props? If that was the case then I’ll just a read a book I thought to myself. The opening of “Our Town” started with a man standing in the middle of a stage telling the audience what was about to take place and all the imaginary props throughout the stage. My initial thought was perhaps he wants the audience to focus on the plot of the play or something that’s more important to the play, the props, glitz and glam would distract the audience from actually focusing on the message the director was trying to convey. I then went on to read “Our Town” that night after class and I figured it would connect to “Tree of Life” some way or some how. I read Act 1 I understood the play there were two families and a boy and girl that liked each other that were neighbors. Then, in Act 11 it was three years later and the boy and girl was about to get married. Lastly, in Act 111 it was nine years later and the girl died, I was a bit confused how she died in childbirth. She comes back into her life in order to reflect, she reenters her “life” basically as a ghost and she at her tweleth birthday party. At that moment she realizes that she didn’t appreciate all aspects of her life she sees how happy her and her family were; now that she is dead she sees the true beauty of life. The overall essence of “Our Town” was humans do not appreciate their human experiences and how brief and precious life actually is, just as in “Tree of Life”. Jack wasn’t the brother that died but throughout the film there are many important scenes and memories of Jack with his brother before he died. Which leads me to infer that he appreciated the precious moments he did share with his brother before he died even though, he did have a personal disconnection with his father. The scenes in “Tree of Life are memories of how quick life flashes before you; you only remember certain things in life, then it flashes right before your eyes and want to relive the memories again therefore you constantly think about it over and over again. “Tree of Life” express that there are two ways of life through grace and nature; however being that “Our Town” is one in the same with “Tree of Life” I now have a better understanding of “Tree of Life”, minus the biblical aspects.