Our Town: A Play In 3 Acts

by: Thornton Wilder

created by Corey Brinton

external image Our%20Town%20cover.jpg


1.) Our Town Study Guide
-Study guide covers a range of topics including plot summary, analysis, themes, symbols and more. This link has an incredible amount of wealth for anyone using this novel.

2.) Thornton Wilder Biography
-Biography gives readers a look into the life of the man behind the play. In some instances, it's vauluable to know a bit of background information about the author before diving into the text.

3.) Teacher's Guide
-Provides educators a wealth of information revolving around the author, history of the play, and activities and discussion questions. Available courtesy of PBS, this link contains a plethora of information that would help during the teaching of this novel.

4.) Film Adaptation
-The 1940 film adaptation of the play. This film would serve as an excellent resource to use either with the text or even after the text to gain a new perspective of the play.

5.) IMDB
-A great supplement to the 1940 adaptation. Provides all the information one would need to know about the film.

6.) Broadway Database
-A refernce to the 1938 theatrical production of the play. This site could definitely be useful to help students gain information about this specific production

7.) Our Town Quiz
-This link provides a 15 question quiz about Wilder's play. After selecting a question, you will find out if your answer was correct or incorrect. In addition, the quiz also provides additional information after answering the question. You can also see how you match up against other people that took the quiz.

8.) Timeline
-Google search result for a Wilder-related timeline. This timeline stretches from Wilder's birth in 1897 all the way to an article in the Times about the play done in a high school. Also, there is a handy graph provided that shows each year and the number of search results it yields.

9.) The Text
-A complete online version of the text. This could come in handy if a student misplaces theirs, or be a cheap alternative to purchasing the play.

10.) Study Guide
-This site provides an in-depth analysis of the play. It's easy to manuever because it breaks down the play act by act.

11.) Library Thing
-This site is a social networking and cataloging site for booklovers. This particular page revolves around Wilder and Our Town.

12.) New?
-This link features an updated version of the play. It's set in the late 90's and could possibly capture the attention of students with a different approach.

13.) LIFE
-A feature article in the 1962 issue of LIFE magazine that hits on something key to Our Town. Oakes, North Dakota, is shown in detail, and gives the students the chance to see the historic town that inspired the play.

14.) On Point
-A 2002 radio show from NPR that is made available online. This show hits on why the play is so important and reasons why it still speaks to us today.

15.) Lit Plans
-This site includes lesson plans, teacher's guides, novel unit plans, study guides, and a great amount of other useful material that could be used in refernece to Our Town and Thornton Wilder.

16.) University of New Hampshire
-A PDF that dives into some background related to the writing of Our Town. This PDF could also serve as a study guide or supplemental information to the text.

17.) Interview
-Paul Newman (the Stage Manager) and James Naughton (the director) sit down with PBS to talk about the challenges of bringing Wilder's play to television. This could give students some valuable insight in terms of adapting older works for a modern audience.

18.) Fiction
-Secondary reading done by the Paris Review. This article hits on Wilder, and his methods of fiction.

19.) American Theatre
-From the May/June 2008 issue of a popular theatre magazine. This article descrbe 6 different productions of Our Town and it's popularity today.

20.) Rotten
-A Rotten Tomatoes review of the 1940 film adaptation. Since the website has only been around since 1995, it's interesting to see what ppeople said from 55 to 70 years after the film came out.