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The Stage Manager In Our Town By Thornton Wilder

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Our Town is a play written by Thornton Wilder set in a small town known as Grover’s Corners. Wilder conjured the Stage Manager to be a representation to the theme of the play. The theme of universality placing Grover’s Corners in view with the rest of the world. Wilder makes a point to the audience that people have a big impact and influence over the next person, whether they were important or insignificant to that individual’s life. Therefore, the Stage Manager emphasizes on this very viewpoint that the lives of certain people are overlooked so are their influences. The Stage Manager himself is a physical embodiment of Wilders own views and opinions of humans and life itself. Throughout the play, the Stage Manager plays various of roles in order to force the realization to the audience into understanding the importance human life and the influence of others.
Wilder created the Stage Manager for various of reasons. The stage Manager is unique in that his presence fills every scene, whether he is the one speaking to the audience or playing a character in the play. The Stage Manager provides background information and familiarizes the audience with Grover’s Corners and the characters. The Stage Manager is aware that the audience are present and breaks down the “fourth wall” to speak to the audience directly, ignoring the confines of the stage. “The Stage Manager wants the audience to really be there with the characters and wants us to listen and look at him” (Millman).

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