Washington Post - Recommended
"...one of the more rewarding lessons of this production is that the day-to-day affairs in the Gibbs and Webb households can be conveyed as persuasively by a colorblind cast as one that adheres more faithfully to the demographic strictures of the town at the turn of the 20th century as spelled out by the Stage Manager. Rayne reimagines the Gibbses and Webbs as interracial families, which reminds you that "Our Town" is about humankind, and not any one kind of human."
DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Stephen Rayne, this iconic American play is presented with a sharp modern edge, maintaining the integrity of the story while keeping it exciting and new for audiences everywhere. A deeply introspective look at small town life at the turn of the 20th century straight from the mountains of New England in a little place called Grover's Corners, this production is thought-provoking and profound with its approach to breaking the fourth wall."
Washington Examiner - Highly Recommended
"..."It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another." And so it goes, that sweet young Emily Webb must face her inevitable mortality. There's nothing new under the sun about "Our Town," yet the perennial American classic is given a glossy new treatment at Ford's Theatre under the enigmatic direction of Stephen Rayne"
MetroWeekly - Recommended
"...All told, it's a solid ensemble and together they deliver the cohesive and palpable sense of daily human connection with all of its attendant needs that Wilder requires. For this facsimilie of life, in truth, is a necessary setup, a crucial prelude to Wilder's third and final act in which he steps from the physical to the metaphysical. Set above the town on a windswept hill, Wilder removes every comfort, creature and otherwise, and delivers an extended cri de coeur that both obliterates and makes precious the contrivances of all that has comes before. Sent as a message from beyond the grave, Wilder's Stage Manager finally and truly breaks the fourth wall and delivers it. The only question that remains is whether you will sign for it."
Talkin Broadway - Recommended
"...Portia is a skillful guide to the play, setting up scenes and stepping in and out of the action while maintaining a light touch. James Konicek and Craig Wallace give weighty performances as George's and Emily's fathers, and Kimberly Schraf creates a warm rapport with Gagarin as Emily's mother. On the other hand, Tom Story is distractingly broad as the malcontent church choir director Simon Stimson."
Washingtonian - Recommended
"...Our Town is handsomely staged, and its cast is effective especially in the moody, romantic scenes in which they sing in unison. A funeral sequence towards the play's end is beautifully creative, and the sound effects-created by the actor themselves-are evocative. In Grover's Corners, theater is a time capsule, preserving the hopes and dreams and silly schemes of people living over a century ago. It's just hard not to wish it had more insight to offer a 2013 audience."
BrightestYoungThings - Recommended
"...Our Town seems to pick one random example of normalcy by highlighting the romance of teenagers George Gibb and Emily Webb in a typical New England town. It follows them through Daily Life (Act I) via a day in 1901, and Love and Marriage (Act II) via a day in 1904. As the Stage Manager says of Act III, "I reckon you can guess what that's about." Through its familiar normalcy, my parents' skeptical neighbor, Our Town conveys the magnitude of the simple choices we make every day, yielding the relationships and events which define our lives. One of the departed characters laments in the most powerful scene of the show, "Do any humans realize life while they live it?""
The Georgetowner - Highly Recommended
"..."Our Town" by Thornton Wilder, now enjoying a splendid 75th anniversary production at the Ford's Theatre, is a paradox, a contradiction-in its aspirations and results, in the feelings it engenders and the way it has always and continues to be regarded. The play garners large amounts of affection with an almost equal amount of disdain and criticism."
DCTheatreScene - Recommended
he bare stage in Our Town could be a reflection of how we come into and leave the world. With nothing. Thornton Wilder’s classic piece is having a 75th year celebration at Ford’s Theatre with color blind casting that pushes the imagination.