Anna Richardson ‘Our Town’ Portfolio

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Initial Response to the text

Before reading the text, I read a summary of the play, as well as some reviews. My initial response upon learning about what the play consisted of was quite negative, as a lot of the information I was reading about the play was telling me it is essentially a play about nothing. This resulted in me having quite a negative preconceived idea on the play which did not excite me for the upcoming weeks. However, reading the play completely proved me wrong. Not only was I utterly invested throughout the whole text, I also found myself holding back tears by the end. It resonated with me in far more ways than I expected. Considering how incorrect my pre conceived idea was, I learned that upon receiving a script, I should read the text before forming any opinions on a play.

From Thornton Wilder’s ability to make such mundane moments in a character’s life exceed substance, to the relatability and familiarity of the characters themselves, I discovered a new found appreciation for ‘Slice of life’ plays. My point of view comprehensively shifted, and I was ready to sink my teeth into ‘Our Town’.

Research 

The play is firmly set in the beginning of the twentieth century. On one of the rehearsal days, we focused on historical events in history that could have influenced the narrative in the play, as well as Wilder’s writing process. We split up into different groups and each focussed on a different time period. 

Screenshot

I found this extremely beneficial as the more knowledge I have on a play, the greater my understanding of the text, making it significantly easier for me to step into the world of the play. As well as this, I have a genuine appreciation for history and enjoy expanding my knowledge whenever I get the chance. In turn, this helps me out for future projects I may work on. One piece of social and historical context that rightly stuck out to me was the fact that the play takes place right before World War 1. This made the feeling of impending doom throughout the play evidently prominent to me and influenced my acting choices greatly. Having this knowledge gave me something to play around with when getting the play on its feet.

Casting/Character

We weren’t cast through an audition, instead we each had one to one conversations with our director about ourselves. I wasn’t too fond of this as I felt an audition process would have benefited me more. That being said, it was comforting to feel that our director viewed us as people before just seeing us as a product of the work we produce and our abilities.

            I knew from the get go that being cast as Stage Manager was going to be a challenge however, I was up for stepping outside of my comfort zone. I undoubtedly had some hesitations about playing this role as it is such a necessary part in conveying the story, as well as a hard character to understand. Nonetheless, I was simultaneously ready for the challenge. 

            The rapport the Stage Manager has with the audience was something I knew I wanted to play around with as exploring my character led me to interpret the Stage Managers purpose as a guiding hand to the audience. Likewise, I decided to play my character as comforting and friendly as possible at the start, knowing that I am about to take the audience on a journey where they are destined leave the show with an overconsuming feeling of melancholy and inner turmoil, again referring to this reoccurring idea of impending doom. 

The main note that I was constantly given from my director was to always make it seem as if I am coming across as if I am continually ensuring the audience are paying attention. She would often tell me to deliver my lines in the final scene as if I am saying ‘have you been paying attention?’ as there are many lines that I deliver at the start of the play that foreshadow the destiny of the story, such as when I am emphasising the tombstones in the cemetery in the opening scene. Maintaining a friendship with the audience, whilst also holding the audience accountable was something I really tried to make evident in my performance. As well as this, the Stage Manager knows everything that happens in the play, even before it happens. I struggled with this idea at first as I wasn’t sure how to balance this with putting on an interesting acting performance and not come across as monotone. I came to the conclusion that my interpretation of the Stage Manager is that although they know what happens, and ultimately are the reason the story is being told, they aren’t necessarily happy about the fact that death is in everyone’s destiny and is inevitable no matter what. 

I was also cast as Joe Crowell Jr who appears in only one scene at the start of the play. At first, I struggled to understand his purpose and the significance of such a brief role. Beth helped me see that Joe introduces the audience to the theme of death, making him a crucial part of the story. She advised me to be overly excited and energetic to clearly distinguish him from the Stage Manager and reminded me that the size of a role is less important than its purpose. Understanding Joe’s role allowed me to develop his character more fully. I also enjoyed exploring physicality when working with our Movement director Isobel in order to show growth and maturation in the scene. These moments of guidance and experimentation helped me appreciate how even small roles can be essential in conveying a play’s themes.

Joe Crowell Junior scene:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e5gGUIrf5HcPHzeag0Sa0RCMgU7gxTPy/view?usp=drivesdk

Opening scene:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YV6MVLqymfsK1cR4TokHWaupEeN1X15R/view?usp=drivesdk

Notes given to me after each full run:

A mind map created with the other Stage Managers to ensure we were on the same page:

Beth instructed that the Stage Manager remain fully engaged even when offstage. At first this felt difficult to maintain, as well as unnecessary, since I felt the audience’s focus would be on the actors, but after watching the run-through recording, I understood how this choice helped unify the entire piece.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WW7iQ1IuVEGiWgKYnBv_zGTFSIqwlsOp/view?usp=drivesdk

Movies watched and books read:

         Recognising what compelled Thornton Wilder to write Our Town helped me grasp the play’s themes more deeply. While researching him, I read a biography that revealed his twin brother had died at birth. Understanding that Wilder experienced such a profound loss in the first moments of his life gave me insight into his lifelong awareness of life’s fragility and the grief of imagining what his life might have been with a twin. This context made the play feel both painfully honest and emotionally authentic.

            To further connect with the themes, I watched It’s a Wonderful Life and Little Women. These films not only assisted me in adopting a New Hampshire accent but also emphasized the inevitability of time passing and shaping lives in ways beyond our control. Observing this recurring theme allowed me to develop a stronger empathy for the moral of Our Town, enriching both my understanding of the story and my approach to performing it.

Voice and accent:

      I was initially apprehensive when I learned we would be using a New Hampshire accent, as I had never worked with this accent before. At first, I found it overwhelming to balance learning my lines while also developing a completely new vocal quality. Because of this, I decided to learn my lines in a general American accent, which felt much more familiar and manageable. Once I became confident with the text, I began focusing more intentionally on the accent itself. To support this process, I watched films such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Little Women, along with several YouTube videos featuring New Hampshire speakers. These resources helped me develop a clearer understanding of the accent and how it should sound. As a result, I was able to apply it more effectively during rehearsals. When Jess later assessed our accents, I expected feedback but was pleasantly surprised to receive no notes, which gave me a significant confidence boost.

Accent voice memos:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-EqOVjNtPfpNK2SoY1QKkUIAqQ7sA5sL/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Lwchmw1K4lv3HP13olgyaIY5JoDurZt/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zCvV6ZRyDFeQrzsmQOEV9Y0rzLP0L_eY/view?usp=drivesdk

Accent videos:


Slump 

We all simultaneously experienced a downfall in energy and motivation in week 3. I felt as if we were over rehearsing to the point that I felt as if I was no longer acting, just going through the motions. In order to overcome this, I spoke to Beth about what to do, and she gave me some crucial advice. She stated it is normal for there to be a slump in the rehearsal process, but to not let it consume me. In terms of me struggling with feeling disconnected when performing, she told me to embrace this awareness of knowing my character so well, to the point I am able to transform into my character effortlessly. This switch of mentality and perspective helped me tremendously to get through the week.

Personal Growth

Unfortunately, my sister had been sick throughout the whole rehearsal process. My family and I were told in September that my sister would not make it to Christmas. Balancing the weight of this whilst simultaneously trying to give my all to this rehearsal process and performance was one of the hardest things I have ever had to overcome, especially considering the play’s main plotline is about a young woman dying and how fragile life is. Navigating this has shown me how resilient I can be, as well as how much acting truly helps my mental health. Being able to completely transform into someone that wasn’t me allowed me to almost escape from my reality for just a moment.         

 Moreover I reflected deeply on my acting process. Prior to this project, I had a habit of physically and emotionally embodying emotions in an unintentional and uncontrolled way. When performing scenes that related to my personal life, my mind would often be transported back to similar moments. This was something I had never previously addressed, as it had never significantly affected me. However, given the seriousness of what I was experiencing in my personal life at the time, this approach became overwhelming. As a result, I had no choice but to confront this habit and begin developing healthier boundaries between my personal experiences and my work as an actor.

I was compelled to learn more about Uta Hagan and her idea of sense memory. By solely focussing on the physical sensations I feel when sensing an emotion, such as a twitch of the eyebrow when getting agitated, or a shaking of the leg when feeling nervous, I am able to bypass having my mind be consumed with vivid memories of moments from my personal life. We had touched upon Uta Hagan’s techniques during skills; however, I wanted to expand my knowledge further. This galvanized me to read ‘Respect for acting’ by Uta Hagan. One part that stood out to me was when it states ‘This technique—recalling a localized sensation and find- ing a physical adjustment to alleviate it—is applicable to any condition you may be called upon to play. The accu- mulation of a lifetime of sensations should be sufficient with our newly acquired technique to serve us for any con- dition or combination of conditions demanded by the play- wright.’ Physicality has always been something I have been passionate about. As a dancer, I have a strong mind-to-body connection and a deep awareness of how to use my muscles and joints to communicate meaning. This physical awareness was invaluable, allowing me to direct my energy into my body rather than my mind.      

 Prior to this project, I had never worked on a play from start to finish therefore, I was eager to finally apply what I had been working on over the past year. I began by closely analyzing the script to understand my character’s objectives, relationships, and emotional journey. Rather than focusing only on dialogue, as I often have a tendency to over analyse, I looked at what the Stage Manager wanted to convey in each moment, and how that motivated their actions. This helped me make choices that felt purposeful and consistent throughout the project as well as understand the complexity of the Stage Manager better. I then applied physical and vocal exploration to bring the character to life. I experimented with posture, movement, and gesture to reflect the Stage Managers’ personality and status. Rehearsals were an important part of my process, as they allowed me to test different interpretations and refine my performance based on what felt most truthful as well as what directions were given to be from Beth. 

Conclusion 

        Overall, this project was a deeply formative experience both artistically and personally. Working on Our Town challenged my assumptions and taught me the importance of approaching a text with openness and curiosity. Through research, rehearsal, and feedback, I developed a stronger understanding of my acting process, particularly in navigating the complexity of the Stage Manager. This project also encouraged me to reflect on my wellbeing as an actor, using physicality and technique to stay grounded and truthful in performance. Completing my first full play has given me confidence, resilience, and excitement to carry these skills forward into future projects.

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