The Center for Fine Arts will be presenting “Our Town” on Thursday, Nov. 11, through Saturday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on Nov. 14.

The production will be staged in JFK Auditorium.

“Our Town” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by famed American playwright Thornton Wilder about life, love and death. The SFU production is directed by Lance Mekeel, an Assistant Professor of Theatre.

“When selecting a play for our fall production, it seemed to be a very important play to produce in our current cultural moment,” said Mekeel. “We’re reeling from the tragic loss of life and connection with others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re faced with a lot of social strife that’s causing us to often focus too heavily on how we’re different from one another and to forget to attend to what makes us similar and brings us together as humans. The play is about cherishing the time we’re given with one another as best we can, so I felt our campus community – or any community – could use that reminder.”

Olivia Theisen, Assistant Stage Manager for the production, is excited for the community to see the show.

“‘Our Town’ is a wonderful play and I think it will really allow people to think about life and how they experience it.”

Theisen’s role as assistant stage manager has allowed her to experience all facets of the production.

“The opportunity to be an assistant stage manager has been an amazing experience and I’ve learned so much about how to really make sure a show goes well,” she said. “My role started as making sure props were at rehearsals.

“As the show progressed, I got to watch the cast develop as actors and the show develop into a complete production. I now work on making sure all of the scene changes happen smoothly. It’s really come together.”

Following the performance on Nov. 12, Professor of Religious Studies Art Remillard will moderate a post-show talkback with the cast and crew.

Performances on Nov. 13 and 14 include the opportunity to buy a dinner/theatre show package.

The production is CES approved. General admission tickets are available for $5 at the door or online at www.francis.edu/ourtown.