“A thousand
years from now…”
The Stage
Manager controls the events of the play Our Town by Thornton
Wilder. As one of the most fascinating characters in American theater, the Stage
Manager provides information about the town and characters for the
audience.
In Act I, the Manager explains that he wants to
place a time capsule in the cornerstone of the new bank that is under construction.
Time capsules are placed with the intention that they will be opened or accessed at a
future date. The capsules contain items that will illustrate what life was like for the
future generations.
The time capsule seems very important
to the Stage Manager. Remember that his purpose is to keep the audience informed. To
him, the future audiences will also know what life was like in 1901 in Grover’s
Corners.
What should be included in the
time capsule to represent
civilization at the turn of the twentieth century? Remember the Stage Manager is
speaking for all people who live in a small town somewhere in the United States not just
Grover’s Corners.
A copy of the local
paper-This will relate the kinds of things that are happening in a small
town. From the obituary to the births to the
weddings.
The New York
Times-For the time, this newspaper would have been the most
informative concerning national and possibly world news. It also gave the news about
the largest city in the United States.
A
Bible-The majority of Americans at the time would
have been Christians. This book represented the spiritual aspect of
man.
The Constitution of the United
States-This document would explain what rights a democratic government
protected and ensured the people of America. It would also stand as an example for
future civilizations of the greatest government in the
world.
The plays of William
Shakespeare-These great plays had already endured for three hundred
years. These dramas would represent man’s appreciation of art and
literature.
Knowledge of the ancient civilization of
Babylon and its citizens have been lost to the world. It had two million people but no
one wrote or provided any indication of what life was like for the Babylonians. They
probably had families that shared meals, and fathers that came home from work…just as in
the current times. Even in Greece and Rome, nothing is really known about their actual
lives. This must not happened again. They did leave behind some poetry and plays which
provides some information.
If one thousand years passes
before this time capsule is opened, then the people will know what life was life in
Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire in 1901. The Stage Manager finishes his monologue by
saying that he will also include a copy of this play Our Town. If
the drama is included, they will know what it was like in the daily lives of people, the
love and marriage, and even their dying.
So—people a thousand years from now--this the way
we were in the provinces north of New York at the beginning of the twentieth
century.
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