Cromer Will "Stage Manage" Our Town Again Over Holidays; Kunken Is in the Wings

By Kenneth Jones
15 Dec 2009

David Cromer and Jason Butler Harner
David Cromer and Jason Butler Harner
Photo by Carol Rosegg

David Cromer will return to play the Stage Manager of the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Our Town that he directed — but his appearance will be brief.

Cromer, whose dispassionate performance in the plain-clothes, environmental production was critically acclaimed (as was the staging), will play Dec. 22-Jan. 3, 2010, prior to Stephen Kunken (Broadway's Festen, Proof, Frost/Nixon, Rock 'n' Roll) taking over the role on Jan. 5.

The current "Stage Manager" — the narrator and guide through Thornton Wilder's three-act look at the human condition — is Jason Butler Harner.

Producers Scott Morfee, Jean Doumanian and Tom Wirtshafter announced the new casting on Dec. 15.

On Dec. 16, with Harner on stage, and Cromer and Kunken in the audience, this current staging of Our Town will become the longest-running production of the play in its 71-year history. The performance will be No. 337, and includes a special reading of Wilder letters after the performance.

This Our Town, with actors seated in the playing area, with house lights often ablaze, began performances on Feb. 17, 2009, with an official opening night on Feb. 26. The Barrow Street Theatre venue was gutted and redesigned for this staging. Our Town went on to win the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction. It was inspired by a similar production that Cromer had staged in Chicago.

Stephen Kunken
The complete cast of Our Town includes (in alphabetical order) Jeremy Beiler as Simon Stimson, Rob Beitzel as Howie Newsome, Susan Bennett as Mrs. Soames, Kati Brazda as Mrs. Webb, Will Brill as Joe Crowell, Nathan Dame as Sam Craig, George Demas as Constable Warren, Jennifer Grace as Emily, Ben Livingston as Professor Willard, James McMenamin as George, Ken Marks as Editor Webb, Jake Horowitz as Wally Webb, Lori Myers as Mrs. Gibbs, Jacey Powers as Rebecca Gibbs, Jay Russell as Joe Stoddard, Armand Schultz as Doc Gibbs, and Jason Yachanin as Si Crowell, Jason Butler Harner as the Stage Manager with Elizabeth Audley, Dana Jacks, Keith Perry, Kathleen Peirce and Mark Shock.

Our Town is produced by Scott Morfee, Jean Doumanian, Tom Wirtshafter, Ted Snowdon, Eagle Productions, Dena Hammerstein/Pam Pariseau, The Weinstein Company, and Burnt Umber Productions.

The performance schedule is Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM, Sunday at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM.

Tickets are priced at $69 & $49.50 and are available through SmartTix (212) 868-4444, www.smarttix.com, or at the Barrow Street Theatre box office (open at 1 PM daily). Student tickets at $20 are available on the day of performance only at the box office.

Tickets are on sale through Jan. 31, 2010. Barrow Street Theatre is located at 27 Barrow Street at 7th Avenue South in the heart of Greenwich Village.