Many are familiar with the monotonous routine that often accompanies every day life. It is not often, however, that the mundane nature of routine is transferred onto the stage in theatre and plays. ‘Our Town,’ a play that is coming to Iowa State’s Fisher Theater written by Thornton Wilder, takes on the idea of everyday life and begs us to see the beauty and clarity of living in the moment.

“‘Our Town’ was an attempt to get away from some of the things going on on Broadway at the time,” Director Jane Cox said. “Instead of using lavish scenery and props, [Wilder] did away with those.”

‘Our Town’ is a three act play where each act represents a different time period in an average person’s life.

“Act one is called the ‘The Daily Life,’ and that’s about the kind of things that are going on in the town,” Cox said. “Act two is called ‘Love and Marriage,’ so we see a wedding at the end of act two and act three is about death and what Wilder believes happens after death.”

Rachel Henderson, a senior in performing arts who plays Mrs. Gibbs, believes that there are definitely some challenges when taking on a play that is considered an American classic.

“It’s done so often so everyone has their ideas of how these characters are supposed to be,” Henderson said. “When the show was written, their views didn’t align with a lot of our viewpoints nowadays … so it’s been a challenge to kind of figure out how to tell the story that Thornton Wilder wrote while also trying to find yourself in the characters and approach them from a 2018 viewpoint.”

Cox agreed that many people expect certain things out of a classic show such as ‘Our Town,’ and said that it is important for classics to stick to their core.

“I think the way that the audience might respond to certain lines will change somewhat, but at the same time if a classic has lasted so long it has, at its core, something that’s interesting and emotional and useful to people,” Cox said.

Although many may be familiar with ‘Our Town’ and have prior experience with the show, it is especially close to Cox’s heart and has allowed for her to come full circle as a director and theatre lover.

Not only will ‘Our Town’ be the last show for the ISU Theatre Program’s soring semester schedule, but it will be the last show that Cox will direct due to her retirement at the end of the school year.

“This is a great favorite script of mine, and I think I have been in it or worked on it five different times” Cox said. “‘Our Town’ was the first professional production I ever saw when I was 15 and it made a huge impact on me and actually made me want to go into theatre and be part of something that could move people like that.”

Those who have worked with Cox both on this play and in the past know that her life and energy will be greatly missed amongst the department.

“Jane is a lot of fun,” Henderson said. “Within the department she is described as a parental figure that you know you can go and talk to whenever.”

Hayden Walker, a freshman in mechanical engineering who plays Joe Crowell, claimed that his brief time spent with Cox was a great experience.

“Jane is a lot of fun in rehearsals and just the nicest person you’d ever meet,” Walker said. “She really likes this play and you can tell that when you are working with her.”

All involved believe that this show is important for people to see and explores themes that make you look at your life and appreciate the little things that are often ignored.

“The message of life through it is important, especially as we get close to dead week and finals week,” Henderson said.

I think it’s easy to get caught up in ‘oh I have to pass this test or this class,’ and I think it’s a good reminder that life isn’t just these tests. Life is a journey and we have so much and we miss so much by focusing on these tiny things”

Cox added that there are many different themes in ‘Our Town’ for people to relate to.

“Carpe Diem, or ‘seize the day,’ is a big theme in the show,” Cox said. “This might be the only day you have and you don’t want to not pay attention to it. Instead of constantly thinking down the line, it’s important to think about what today can bring. Time keeps going forward and you aren’t gonna get it back again.”