Guide to 'Our Town' on Broadway, starring Jim Parsons

Katie Holmes, Zoey Deutch, and more also lead the starry cast of director Kenny Leon’s revival of Thornton Wilder's classic, Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Joe DziemianowiczAugust 13, 2024, 04:00

Small town, big stakes. Thornton Wilder’s popular 1938 drama Our Town is a story about life and death and appreciating “every, every minute” in between. The style is folksy; the impact is deep.

Emmy Award winner and Tony nominee Jim Parsons plays the Stage Manager and leads a new fall Broadway production of this deceptively simple dramatic slice of life. He’s joined by Zoey Deutch, Ephraim Sykes, Katie Holmes, Richard Thomas, Julie Halston, and more in Tony-winning director Kenny Leon’s (A Raisin in the Sun) staging at the Barrymore Theatre.

That’s where the fictional village of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, will come alive. Get the lay of the land with our guide to this American classic, and be sure to visit the town for yourself.

Get Our Town tickets now.

What is Our Town about?

First performed in 1938, Our Town is a poignant look at everyday life – and everything that goes with it. Through its three acts — “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage,” and “Death and Eternity” — the play dives into the passage of time, the significance of ordinary moments, and the universal experiences of being human.

The central story revolves around the Webb and Gibbs families, whose members each get a different lease on — and length of — life.

Where is Our Town playing?

Our Town is at the Barrymore Theatre, located at 243 W. 47th St. Designed by Herbert J. Krapp and built in 1928, the 1,096-seat theatre is named for Ethel Barrymore, who starred in such works as The Kingdom of God and The School for Scandal.

Plays and musicals recently presented at the theatre include Patriots, Harmony, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, and The Piano Lesson.

How long is Our Town?

Our Town runs 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission. The running time for a Broadway play can range anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours, and longer plays often have an intermission.

What days is Our Town playing?

Our Town runs Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays. The production begins performances on September 17 and is slated to run through January 19, 2025.

When did Our Town premiere?

The first performance of Our Town was at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey on January 22, 1938. Since then, the play has been produced numerous times around the world.

The play made its Broadway debut on February 4, 1938 and has had four revivals, most recently in 2002 with the late Paul Newman as the Stage Manager. The 2024 production at the Barrymore Theatre is Broadway’s fifth revival.

Who wrote Our Town?

Wilder, a celebrated American playwright and novelist, is known for his innovative works that explore the human condition. His career began with the 1927 novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, which won the Pulitzer Prize. Our Town, Wilder’s most renowned work, showcases his ability to portray daily life with philosophical insight. This play, along with his 1942 play, The Skin of Our Teeth, cemented his reputation for blending everyday characters and events with profound themes.

Our Town characters

In addition to the Stage Manager, several citizens of Grover’s Corners figure prominently in the play.

Stage Manager: The show's narrator who bridges the gap between the play's world and the audience, and between life and death.
Emily Webb: a bright young woman who becomes central to the play's exploration of life’s fleeting moments.
George Gibbs: a hardworking young man and Emily’s love interest.
Mrs. Webb: Emily’s practical, family-focused mother.
Mr. Webb: Emily's father, the editor of the local newspaper.
Mrs. Gibbs: George’s supportive mother who dreams of traveling beyond her town.
Mr. Gibbs: George’s father, a small-town doctor.
Wally Webb: Emily’s younger brother and a Boy Scout.
Simon Stimson: the town’s choir director, whose troubled personal life fuels the local rumor mill.
Rebecca Gibbs: George’s younger sister.
Mrs. Soames: a church choir singer who’s not above gossip.

Other minor characters include various locals of Grover's Corner.

Who is in the cast of Our Town?

Director Kenny Leon (Purlie Victorious, Topdog/Underdog) has assembled a dynamic cast for the new Broadway revival. The show features Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) as the Stage Manager, Zoey Deutch (Set It Up) as Emily, Ephraim Sykes (Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations) as George, Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) as Mrs. Webb, Richard Thomas (The Waltons) as Mr. Webb, and Julie Halston (Sex and the City) as Mrs. Soames.

What awards has Our Town won?

In 1938, the play was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Just over 60 years later, a 1988 Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Revival and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival.

The new Broadway adaptation of Our Town has not yet been honored with awards, but will be eligible for the 2024-25 season’s upcoming awards, including Tonys.

Major productions of Our Town

Our Town has had numerous major productions since its 1938 premiere. Significant presentations with celebrated actors have been popping up on stages ever since.

1938: Following its world premiere at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey, the play transferred to Broadway’s Henry Miller’s Theatre (now the Stephen Sondheim Theatre). Frank Craven played the Stage Manager, a role he reprised in the 1940 movie version.
1944: The dashing Montgomery Clift played George Gibbs in this Broadway revival.
1969: Henry Fonda starred as the Stage Manager in this Broadway run with Elizabeth Hartman and Harvey Evans as the lovebirds Emily and George.
1988: The cast of this Tony-winning revival included Spalding Gray as the Stage Manager, Eric Stolz as George, and Penelope Ann Miller as Emily.
2002: Paul Newman was the marquee star in the most recent Broadway revival. Also in the cast: Jane Curtain as Mrs. Webb and Maggie Lacey as Emily. They can be seen in the film capture on YouTube.
2009: Director David Cromer (The Sound Inside, The Band’s Visit) played the Stage Manager in this stark Off-Broadway production of the play. During its 18-month run, Helen Hunt, Michael Shannon, and Michael McKean stepped into the role. Cromer reprised his performance in a 2014 London run.
2024: Broadway’s sixth production of the play begins September 17, 2024 at the Barrymore Theatre.

Onscreen adaptations of Our Town

Our Town has been adapted into big-screen and TV productions that have given audiences the opportunity to appreciate its far-reaching appeal.

1940: William Holden played George in this film adaptation released two years after the play premiered. The fate of a major character is altered in the movie.
1977: Hal Holbrook, Ned Beatty, Glynnis O’Connor, and Robby Benson were featured in this Hallmark Hall of Fame telemovie adaptation.
1989: A filmed capture of an Our Town performance at Lincoln Center, featuring cast members from the 1988 revival, is released.
2003: A performance of the Paul Newman-led 2002 Broadway revival is shown on Showtime and then as part of PBS's Masterpiece Theatre series.

Celebrities who have performed in Our Town

Numerous high-profile actors have performed in the roles of Wilder’s beloved work, which, at the time, made them the talk of Our Town.

Jim Parsons: The Big Bang Theory Emmy winner plays the Stage Manager in Our Town in 2024.
Zoey Deutch: Known for the Netflix film Set It Up and TV show The Politician, she makes her Broadway debut in 2024 as Emily.
Ephraim Sykes plays George in 2024's Our Town. He earned a Tony nomination for playing The Temptations' David Ruffin in Ain't Too Proud.
Katie Holmes: Best known for playing Joey Potter on Dawson's Creek, she returns to Broadway as Mrs. Webb.
Richard Thomas The Emmy-winning The Waltons actor plays Mr. Webb in the 2024 Broadway revival.
Julie Halston, a theatre veteran who's appeared on Sex and the City and And Just Like That plays town gossip Mrs. Soames in Our Town in 2024.
Montgomery Clift: Known for his brooding performances in A Place in the Sun and From Here to Eternity, he played George in a 1944 Broadway run.
Henry Fonda: His career spanned five decades and roles in 12 Angry Men, The Grapes of Wrath, and On Golden Pond. He played the Stage Manager on Broadway in 1969.
Elizabeth Hartman: The Oscar nominee for A Patch of Blue played Emily opposite Fonda in the Broadway revival.
Spalding Gray: Known for monologues such as Swimming to Cambodia, he played the Stage Manager in 1988.
Eric Stolz: Known for starring opposite Cher in Mask, he earned a Tony nomination playing George in 1988.
Penelope Ann Miller: The actress whose movie credits include Carlito’s Way and The Freshman was up for a Tony for her star turn as Emily opposite Stoltz and Gray in 1988.
Paul Newman: The Hollywood legend, who won an Oscar for The Color of Money, played the Stage Manager in a 2002 Broadway revival.
Jane Curtin: The Emmy winner known for Saturday Night Live and Kate & Allie played Mrs. Webb alongside Newman.
Stephen Spinella: The Tony winner for Angels in America played Simon Stinson in 2002 on Broadway.
Helen Hunt: An Emmy and Oscar winner known for Mad About You and As Good as It Gets, she took over the role of the Stage Manager in director David Cromer’s 2009 Off-Broadway revival.
Michael McKean: His credits range from This Is Spinal Tap to Better Call Saul. He also assumed the Stage Manager role in Cromer’s Off-Broadway production.
Michael Shannon: The Oscar nominee for Revolutionary Road and Nocturnal Animals took over as the Stage Manager role in Cromer’s Off-Broadway production.
William Holden: Famous for films including Stalag 17 (which won him an Oscar), Sunset Boulevard, and Network, he played George in a 1940 movie adaptation.
Hal Holbrook: The 1966 Best Actor Tony winner for Mark Twain Tonight played the Stage Manager in a 1977 Our Town telemovie.
Robby Benson: Known for such 1970s films as Ode to Billy Joe and Ice Castles, played George opposite Holbrook in the TV movie.
Glynnis O’Connor: She starred with Benson in Ode to Billy Joe and played Emily in the 1977 television production.

Fun facts about Our Town

Learn about the real-life inspiration for Grover’s Corners, high praise from a surprise source, and more delightful details about Our Town below.

Grover’s Corners is an imaginary stand-in for Petersborough, New Hampshire, where Wilder worked on the play one summer.
The play’s preface indicates it should be performed on an empty stage: "No curtain. No scenery.” This production does have a set designer, though (Beowulf Boritt), and we can't wait to see what he comes up with.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? playwright Edward Albee has called Our Town the finest American play ever written.
Our Town… But Wilder is a 2022 play set in Irrelevant, Connecticut. It’s about a high school student who discovers himself while playing the Stage Manager in Our Town.

How to get Our Town tickets

Our Town depicts the lives of small-town residents whose stories reverberate into the cosmos – and your own lives. It’s that kind of play – and you won’t want to miss it.