Classic drama ushers in new era at York College

One of the most beloved American plays of the last century was the first show performed in one of the most long-anticipated new buildings at York College.

Thornton Wilder’s Our Town was performed February 25-28 in the newly constructed Bartholomew Performing Arts Center. Patrons packed each performance of the acclaimed show, eager to see the moving production as well as the new theater.

See photos from the show
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“I chose this show because it is such a classic and because it has a large cast,” said Director John Baker, associate professor of communication. “I wanted to give as many  of my actors as possible the chance to say ‘I was in the first show in Bartholomew.’”

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Our Town is set in the small town of Grover’s Corners, Massachusetts, from 1901 to 1910. The three acts explore timeless themes of the human experience. Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, audiences follow the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually—in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre—die.

Laurel Simpson, Ainsely Mountjoy, and Natalie Ostrander portray townsfolk in "Our Town".

The talented cast included many seasoned performers as well as a few newcomers. YC students Sami Berry, Grady Johnson, Osei Afriyie, Laurel Simpson, Natalie Ostrander, Nolan Henningson, Deidre Freitas, Annie Wilkinson, Josh Kountz, Jameson Trauger, Erin Wallgren, Joshua Anderson, Katie Bell, Eric Massey, Ainsley Mountjoy, Ryan Harrison, Abby Gonzalez, and Danielle Berry comprise the cast of Our Town, in addition to York youth Trey Bunyard and Zander Madole, who have supporting roles. Melissa Strong assistant directed.
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Published in 1938, Our Town is one of the most frequently performed plays in the American canon. It won the Pulitzer Prize and is widely hailed as one of the finest plays ever written by an American.

Trey Bunyard and Xander Madole bring a youthful element to the YC production of "Our Town."

Patrons were invited to attend a special question and answer session with the cast in the theatre after the performance on Friday, February 26.

The play was performed in the newest building on the York College campus. A ribbon cutting ceremony and open house was held for the Bartholomew Performing Arts Center in October 2015, but the facility was not furnished and in use until the start of the spring semester. The center is now the home for the music and drama programs.
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It will serve as a teaching facility as well as a high-quality venue for productions, speakers, and concerts. A multi-form (black box) theater seating up to 350 patrons is the centerpiece of the Bartholomew Performing Arts Center. This 5,000 square-foot feature allows for various stage arrangements and improved seating and accessibility for patrons. Other features of the building include an atrium, a dedicated rehearsal hall for the concert choir, a green room, costume room, and practice rooms for music majors.

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