Our Town (1938)
QUOTES
Act I
There’s some scenery for those who think they have to have scenery.
I never told you about that letter Jane Crofut got from her minister when she was sick. He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was like this: It said: Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; Grover’s Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; United States of America.
What’s funny about that?
But listen, it’s not finished; the United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hempisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God.
In our town we like to know the facts about everybody.
Want to tell you something about that boy Joe Crowell there. Joe was awful bright—graduated from high school here, head of his class. So he got a scholarship to Massachusetts Tech. Graduated head of his class there, too. It was all wrote up in the Boston paper at the time. Goin’ to be a great engineer, Joe was. But the war broke out and he died in France.—All that education for nothing.
Very ordinary town, if you ask me. Little better behaved than most. Probably a lot duller.
But our young people here seem to like it well enough. Ninety per cent of ’em graduating from high school settle down right here to live—even when they’ve been away to college.
I guess I know more about Simon Stimson’s affairs than anybody in this town. Some people ain’t made for small-town life.
This play is called “Our Town.” It was written by Thornton Wilder; produced and directed by A. ... In it you will see Miss C. ...; Miss D. ...; Miss E. ...; and Mr. F. ...; Mr. G. ...; Mr. H. ...; and many others.
Well, if I could get the Doctor to take the money and go away someplace on a real trip, I’d sell it like that.—Y’know, Myrtle, it’s been the dream of my life to see Paris, France.
Nice town, y’know what I mean? Nobody very remarkable ever come out of it, s’far as we know.
Y’know—Babylon once had two million people in it, and all we know about ’em is the names of the kings and some copies of wheat contracts... and contracts for the sale of slaves. Yet every night all those families sat down to supper, and the father came home from his work, and the smoke went up the chimney,—same as here. And even in Greece and Rome, all we know about the real life of the people is what we can piece together out of the joking poems and the comedies they wrote for the theatre back then.
So I’m going to have a copy of this play put in the cornerstone and the people a thousand years from now’ll know a few simple facts about us.
They’re all getting citified, that’s the trouble with them.
Anything serious goin’ on in the world since Wednesday?
Yessir. My schoolteacher, Miss Foster, ’s getting married to a fella over in Concord.
Only it seems to me that once in your life before you die you ought to see a country where they don’t talk in English and don’t even want to.
Act I
There’s some scenery for those who think they have to have scenery.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: The Theater
I never told you about that letter Jane Crofut got from her minister when she was sick. He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was like this: It said: Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; Grover’s Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; United States of America.
What’s funny about that?
But listen, it’s not finished; the United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hempisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God.
- Location: Act 1
- Speakers: Rebecca Gibbs, George Gibbs
- Related themes: Community
In our town we like to know the facts about everybody.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: Community
Want to tell you something about that boy Joe Crowell there. Joe was awful bright—graduated from high school here, head of his class. So he got a scholarship to Massachusetts Tech. Graduated head of his class there, too. It was all wrote up in the Boston paper at the time. Goin’ to be a great engineer, Joe was. But the war broke out and he died in France.—All that education for nothing.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Mentioned or related: Joe Crowell
- Related themes: The Theater, Time, Change, and Continuity
Very ordinary town, if you ask me. Little better behaved than most. Probably a lot duller.
But our young people here seem to like it well enough. Ninety per cent of ’em graduating from high school settle down right here to live—even when they’ve been away to college.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Mr. Webb
- Related themes: Community, The Everyday and the Ordinary
I guess I know more about Simon Stimson’s affairs than anybody in this town. Some people ain’t made for small-town life.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Dr. Gibbs
- Mentioned or related: Simon Stimson
- Related themes: Community
This play is called “Our Town.” It was written by Thornton Wilder; produced and directed by A. ... In it you will see Miss C. ...; Miss D. ...; Miss E. ...; and Mr. F. ...; Mr. G. ...; Mr. H. ...; and many others.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: The Theater
Well, if I could get the Doctor to take the money and go away someplace on a real trip, I’d sell it like that.—Y’know, Myrtle, it’s been the dream of my life to see Paris, France.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Mrs. Gibbs
- Mentioned or related: Dr. Gibbs, Mrs. Webb
- Related themes: Community
Nice town, y’know what I mean? Nobody very remarkable ever come out of it, s’far as we know.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: Community, The Everyday and the Ordinary
Y’know—Babylon once had two million people in it, and all we know about ’em is the names of the kings and some copies of wheat contracts... and contracts for the sale of slaves. Yet every night all those families sat down to supper, and the father came home from his work, and the smoke went up the chimney,—same as here. And even in Greece and Rome, all we know about the real life of the people is what we can piece together out of the joking poems and the comedies they wrote for the theatre back then.
So I’m going to have a copy of this play put in the cornerstone and the people a thousand years from now’ll know a few simple facts about us.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: The Theater, The Everyday and the Ordinary
They’re all getting citified, that’s the trouble with them.
Anything serious goin’ on in the world since Wednesday?
Yessir. My schoolteacher, Miss Foster, ’s getting married to a fella over in Concord.
- Location: Act 1
- Speakers: Joe Crowell, Dr. Gibbs
- Related themes: The Everyday and the Ordinary
Only it seems to me that once in your life before you die you ought to see a country where they don’t talk in English and don’t even want to.
- Location: Act 1
- Speaker: Mrs. Gibbs
- Related themes: Community
Act 2
Here comes Howie Newsome delivering the milk. And there’s Si Cromwell delivering the papers like his brother before him.
The day wouldn’t come when I wouldn’t want to know everything that’s happening here. I know that’s true, Emily.
Emily! Emily! Now don’t get upset...
But, Papa,—I don’t want to get married....
Sh—sh—Emily. Everything’s all right.
Why can’t I stay for a while just as I am?
Yes, the sun’s come up over a thousand times.
Summers and winters have cracked the mountains a little bit more and the rains have brought down some of the dirt.
Some babies that weren’t even born before have begun talking regular sentences already; and a number of people who thought they were right young and spry have noticed that they can’t bound up a flight of stairs like they used to, without their heart fluttering a little.
All that can happen in a thousand days.
Well, Mr. Webb... I don’t think I could...
So I took the opposite of my father’s advice and I’ve been happy ever since.
Here comes Howie Newsome delivering the milk. And there’s Si Cromwell delivering the papers like his brother before him.
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Mentioned or related: Howie Newsome, Si Cromwell
- Related themes: Time, Change, and Continuity
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: George Gibbs
- Mentioned or related: Mrs. Gibbs
- Related themes: Time, Change, and Continuity
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Mr. Webb
- Mentioned or related: George Gibbs
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Mrs. Gibbs
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Mrs. Webb
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Mrs. Gibbs
- Mentioned or related: Dr. Gibbs
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: The Theater, The Everyday and the Ordinary, Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: Community
The day wouldn’t come when I wouldn’t want to know everything that’s happening here. I know that’s true, Emily.
- Location: Act 2
- Speakers: Emily Webb, George Gibbs
- Related themes: Community, The Everyday and the Ordinary
Emily! Emily! Now don’t get upset...
But, Papa,—I don’t want to get married....
Sh—sh—Emily. Everything’s all right.
Why can’t I stay for a while just as I am?
- Location: Act 2
- Speakers: Emily Webb, Mr. Webb
- Mentioned or related: George Gibbs
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family, Time, Change, and Continuity
Yes, the sun’s come up over a thousand times.
Summers and winters have cracked the mountains a little bit more and the rains have brought down some of the dirt.
Some babies that weren’t even born before have begun talking regular sentences already; and a number of people who thought they were right young and spry have noticed that they can’t bound up a flight of stairs like they used to, without their heart fluttering a little.
All that can happen in a thousand days.
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: Time, Change, and Continuity
Well, Mr. Webb... I don’t think I could...
So I took the opposite of my father’s advice and I’ve been happy ever since.
- Location: Act 2
- Speakers: Mr. Webb, George Gibbs
- Related themes: Marriage and the Family
- Location: Act 2
- Speaker: George Gibbs
- Mentioned or related: Emily Webb
- Related themes: Community
Act 3
This time nine years have gone by, friends—summer 1913.
Gradual changes in Grover’s Corners. Horses are getting rarer.
Farmers coming into town in Fords.
Everybody locks their house doors at night. Ain’t been any burglars in town yet, but everybody’s heard about ’em.
You’d be surprised, though—on the whole, things don’t change much around here.
No!—At least, choose an unimportant day. Choose the least important day in your life. It will be important enough.
I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I’m here. I’m grown up. I love you all, everything.—I can’t look at everything hard enough.
I can go back there and live all those days over again... why not?
Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?
Most everybody’s asleep in Grover’s Corners. There are a few lights on: Shorty Hawkins, down at the depot, has just watched the Albany train go by. And at the livery stable somebody’s setting up late and talking.—Yes, it’s clearing up. There are the stars—doing their old, old crisscross journeys in the sky.
This time nine years have gone by, friends—summer 1913.
Gradual changes in Grover’s Corners. Horses are getting rarer.
Farmers coming into town in Fords.
Everybody locks their house doors at night. Ain’t been any burglars in town yet, but everybody’s heard about ’em.
You’d be surprised, though—on the whole, things don’t change much around here.
- Location: Act 3
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: The Theater, Time, Change, and Continuity
No!—At least, choose an unimportant day. Choose the least important day in your life. It will be important enough.
- Location: Act 3
- Speaker: Mrs. Gibbs
- Mentioned or related: Emily Webb
- Related themes: The Everyday and the Ordinary
I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I’m here. I’m grown up. I love you all, everything.—I can’t look at everything hard enough.
- Location: Act 3
- Speaker: Emily Webb
- Mentioned or related: Mrs. Webb, Mr. Webb
- Related themes: Time, Change, and Continuity
I can go back there and live all those days over again... why not?
- Location: Act 3
- Speaker: Emily Webb
- Related themes: Time, Change, and Continuity
Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?
- Location: Act 3
- Speaker: Emily Webb
- Related themes: The Everyday and the Ordinary, Time, Change, and Continuity
Most everybody’s asleep in Grover’s Corners. There are a few lights on: Shorty Hawkins, down at the depot, has just watched the Albany train go by. And at the livery stable somebody’s setting up late and talking.—Yes, it’s clearing up. There are the stars—doing their old, old crisscross journeys in the sky.
- Location: Act 3
- Speaker: Stage Manager
- Related themes: Community, Time, Change, and Continuity