Our Town
at Newport Harbor High School

Reviewed on November 15, 2013

Grace Shu
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Cappie review Newport Harbor High School "Our Town"

Newport Harbor Celebrates Humanity with "Our Town"
for the Orange County Register

by GRACE SHU
Grace Shu is a senior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita

A series of sepia-toned images flickers across the stage, and the audience is immediately transported back in time to the early 1900's. As the play progresses, the entire arc of the human life is both glorified and disillusioned in a delicate and philosophical manner. From beginning to end, Newport Harbor actors enthrall the audience with their own spin on the beloved classic, "Our Town".

The first act details the everyday life in the quaint town of Grover's Corners while also capturing the emotions behind a quintessential first love. Both Mrs. Gibbs (Sarah Allen) and Mrs. Webb (Katy Butterworth) shine as maternal figures in the play by remaining grounded centers for their children to depend on. Allen, in particular, excels at utilizing a gruff voice when calling her kids down for breakfast without compromising the immense love Mrs. Gibbs has for her children.

The second act emphasizes marriage, and it places a spotlight on the relationship between George Gibbs (Noah Gray) and Emily Webb (Alexis Starry) as it comes to fruition. Both Noah and Alexis flawlessly simulate the shy, slightly awkward persona that exemplifies a teenager in love. They perfect it in the ice cream parlor scene where George asks Emily to be his girlfriend. As the two exchange dialogue, they subtly include momentary pauses between phrases and brief glances at one another before quickly looking away. Watching the characters progress from kids to spouses reminded every audience member of his or her first love. The wedding was truly lovely.

The final act presents the most somber topic of the three: death. After Emily dies of childbirth, she finds herself in limbo between life and death. The progression of Emily's characterization from young and innocent to contemplative and disenchanted must be attributed to fantastic acting from Alexis Starry.

Other elements also contributed to the play's greatness. Bobby Surridge did an impeccable job with timing the sound effects to the pantomimes. Also, the three actresses who shared the role of stage manager, typically performed by one person, had incredible synchronization that indicated great collaborative effort. Both individual and group lines were delivered with effectiveness and substantial tone.

Overall, Newport Harbor delivers a thought-provoking show that is a must see. The author himself, Thorton Wilder, sums up the underlying message best with, "There's something way down deep that's eternal about every human being".

Grace Shu
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Cappie review Newport Harbor High School "Our Town"

Newport Harbor Celebrates Humanity with "Our Town"
for the Orange County Register

by GRACE SHU
Grace Shu is a senior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita

A series of sepia-toned images flickers across the stage, and the audience is immediately transported back in time to the early 1900's. As the play progresses, the entire arc of the human life is both glorified and disillusioned in a delicate and philosophical manner. From beginning to end, Newport Harbor actors enthrall the audience with their own spin on the beloved classic, "Our Town".

The first act details the everyday life in the quaint town of Grover's Corners while also capturing the emotions behind a quintessential first love. Both Mrs. Gibbs (Sarah Allen) and Mrs. Webb (Katy Butterworth) shine as maternal figures in the play by remaining grounded centers for their children to depend on. Allen, in particular, excels at utilizing a gruff voice when calling her kids down for breakfast without compromising the immense love Mrs. Gibbs has for her children.

The second act emphasizes marriage, and it places a spotlight on the relationship between George Gibbs (Noah Gray) and Emily Webb (Alexis Starry) as it comes to fruition. Both Noah and Alexis flawlessly simulate the shy, slightly awkward persona that exemplifies a teenager in love. They perfect it in the ice cream parlor scene where George asks Emily to be his girlfriend. As the two exchange dialogue, they subtly include momentary pauses between phrases and brief glances at one another before quickly looking away. Watching the characters progress from kids to spouses reminded every audience member of his or her first love. The wedding was truly lovely.

The final act presents the most somber topic of the three: death. After Emily dies of childbirth, she finds herself in limbo between life and death. The progression of Emily's characterization from young and innocent to contemplative and disenchanted must be attributed to fantastic acting from Alexis Starry.

Other elements also contributed to the play's greatness. Bobby Surridge did an impeccable job with timing the sound effects to the pantomimes. Also, the three actresses who shared the role of stage manager, typically performed by one person, had incredible synchronization that indicated great collaborative effort. Both individual and group lines were delivered with effectiveness and substantial tone.

Overall, Newport Harbor delivers a thought-provoking show that is a must see. The author himself, Thorton Wilder, sums up the underlying message best with, "There's something way down deep that's eternal about every human being".

Julianna Caturano
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Newport Harbor watches life pass in little moments

"Our Town" is a three act play taking place in 1901 New Hampshire that looks at the three main parts of life: daily life, love and marriage, and death. The characters it follows are the Gibbs and the Webb families, who are neighbors and good friends.

The show includes three "Stage Managers" who narrate the story and speak to the audience. These stage managers (Daphne Christle, Alexandra Camazine, Marina Barnes) blend together to portray three distinct personalities and use all parts of the theatre as their stage to make the audience part of their story.

The two moms, Mrs. Webb (Katy Butterworth) and Mrs. Gibbs (Sarah Allen) both capture the essence of motherhood through the way they talk to their families and care for the house. Both mothers have powerful bonds with their children, which is especially apparent in the wedding scene and small dialogues throughout the play.

George Gibbs (Noah Gray) tries to talk to Emily awkwardly and nervously in a very realistic manner, which makes the play more colorful and relatable. Emily Webb (Alexis Starry) portrays her dynamic character well, through the way she grows up within the twelve years that pass and still learns the importance of life while in death. Together, George and Emily are a moving couple who make each other even more apparent.

A notable character with little stage time is Rebecca Gibbs (Vita Muccia), who has a very specific personality and little girly actions that make her very believable and entertaining to watch.

The technical aspects of the show are also well done and add to the play quite a bit. The sound, done by Bobby Surridge, is always on cue and it really adds to the show. Little details like the neighs of Bessie the horse and the sound of the door of the soda shop opening make it very easy for the audience to visualize all the details.

The music for the hymns and the scenes, created by Katy Butterworth, is interesting and unique. The use of modern music with changed words makes the story more relatable.

The stage managers, Angie Grigsby, Meghan Casey, and Hayley King, make sure everything is on cue and make the whole show flow very well, which makes the show more enjoyable.

Overall, the play is moving and interesting, and it is full of many wonderful aspects.

Julianna Caturano
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Newport Harbor watches life pass in little moments

"Our Town" is a three act play taking place in 1901 New Hampshire that looks at the three main parts of life: daily life, love and marriage, and death. The characters it follows are the Gibbs and the Webb families, who are neighbors and good friends.

The show includes three "Stage Managers" who narrate the story and speak to the audience. These stage managers (Daphne Christle, Alexandra Camazine, Marina Barnes) blend together to portray three distinct personalities and use all parts of the theatre as their stage to make the audience part of their story.

The two moms, Mrs. Webb (Katy Butterworth) and Mrs. Gibbs (Sarah Allen) both capture the essence of motherhood through the way they talk to their families and care for the house. Both mothers have powerful bonds with their children, which is especially apparent in the wedding scene and small dialogues throughout the play.

George Gibbs (Noah Gray) tries to talk to Emily awkwardly and nervously in a very realistic manner, which makes the play more colorful and relatable. Emily Webb (Alexis Starry) portrays her dynamic character well, through the way she grows up within the twelve years that pass and still learns the importance of life while in death. Together, George and Emily are a moving couple who make each other even more apparent.

A notable character with little stage time is Rebecca Gibbs (Vita Muccia), who has a very specific personality and little girly actions that make her very believable and entertaining to watch.

The technical aspects of the show are also well done and add to the play quite a bit. The sound, done by Bobby Surridge, is always on cue and it really adds to the show. Little details like the neighs of Bessie the horse and the sound of the door of the soda shop opening make it very easy for the audience to visualize all the details.

The music for the hymns and the scenes, created by Katy Butterworth, is interesting and unique. The use of modern music with changed words makes the story more relatable.

The stage managers, Angie Grigsby, Meghan Casey, and Hayley King, make sure everything is on cue and make the whole show flow very well, which makes the show more enjoyable.

Overall, the play is moving and interesting, and it is full of many wonderful aspects.

Hannah Bozman
Laguna Hills High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

A chronological attempt to remind humans of the value of simple, everyday life and strung together with the starkest of human emotions, Newport Harbor simply astonishes audiences with its presentation of Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

Narrated and carried by three synchronized stage managers, the plot surrounds the happenings of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire and specifically, two neighboring families. With children of the respective houses fated to fall in love and get married, the actors and technical crew pull together a most compelling story about the fragility of human beings and life.

Set on a near bare stage, with the simplest of furnishings, this is by no means an elaborate play. However, the on-point sound effects and music innovation [designed by Bobby Surridge] of blending the instrumentals of modern music with old hymns adds an eerie effect to the show, blending the early twentieth century and the early twenty-first into one, leading the audience to believe that they were really in Grover's Corners. The stage management and cue-calling [Angie Grigsby, Meghan Casey, and Hayley King] were nothing short of exemplary and it was no trouble to imagine one was at a professional production.

We commence with the Gibbs family: Mrs. Gibbs [Sarah Allen] hustles her children out to school, beautifully committing to a portrayal of a hovering mother who personally dreamt of more than she ever got. Meanwhile, her eldest, George Gibbs [Noah Gray] has befriended the neighboring family's daughter, Emily Webb [Alexis Starry]. Gray's and Starry's interactions capture a perfect teenage love interest, complete with awkward dates and stilted conversations. Starry's character displays immense development throughout the storyline, ending with her death during childbirth and her tearful realization that she missed so much more than she imagined. Her co-star was not far behind her, transforming from a cocky young baseball star to a collapsed heap of a man at his wife's grave.

When Emily dies and visits her fellow townspeople in the afterlife, it is her step-mother, Mrs. Gibbs, and her emotion that captivates the audience. Distraught at seeing her husband and son at the gravesite and pleading Emily not to return to the living world, tears run down Allen's cheeks as her emotional delivery reaches dynamic proportions.

So it was, so it is, and so it will ever be a divine pleasure to observe Newport Harbor's absolutely splendid rendition of Our Town.

Hannah Bozman
Laguna Hills High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

A chronological attempt to remind humans of the value of simple, everyday life and strung together with the starkest of human emotions, Newport Harbor simply astonishes audiences with its presentation of Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

Narrated and carried by three synchronized stage managers, the plot surrounds the happenings of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire and specifically, two neighboring families. With children of the respective houses fated to fall in love and get married, the actors and technical crew pull together a most compelling story about the fragility of human beings and life.

Set on a near bare stage, with the simplest of furnishings, this is by no means an elaborate play. However, the on-point sound effects and music innovation [designed by Bobby Surridge] of blending the instrumentals of modern music with old hymns adds an eerie effect to the show, blending the early twentieth century and the early twenty-first into one, leading the audience to believe that they were really in Grover's Corners. The stage management and cue-calling [Angie Grigsby, Meghan Casey, and Hayley King] were nothing short of exemplary and it was no trouble to imagine one was at a professional production.

We commence with the Gibbs family: Mrs. Gibbs [Sarah Allen] hustles her children out to school, beautifully committing to a portrayal of a hovering mother who personally dreamt of more than she ever got. Meanwhile, her eldest, George Gibbs [Noah Gray] has befriended the neighboring family's daughter, Emily Webb [Alexis Starry]. Gray's and Starry's interactions capture a perfect teenage love interest, complete with awkward dates and stilted conversations. Starry's character displays immense development throughout the storyline, ending with her death during childbirth and her tearful realization that she missed so much more than she imagined. Her co-star was not far behind her, transforming from a cocky young baseball star to a collapsed heap of a man at his wife's grave.

When Emily dies and visits her fellow townspeople in the afterlife, it is her step-mother, Mrs. Gibbs, and her emotion that captivates the audience. Distraught at seeing her husband and son at the gravesite and pleading Emily not to return to the living world, tears run down Allen's cheeks as her emotional delivery reaches dynamic proportions.

So it was, so it is, and so it will ever be a divine pleasure to observe Newport Harbor's absolutely splendid rendition of Our Town.