This play appears to tell the simple story of day-to-day life in the small American town of Grover's Corners. Beneath the surface, however, are expansive themes relating to unfulfilled dreams, the limited nature of the human experience, and the nature of life after death. It is considered theatrically innovative at the time of its first production early in the 20th Century, and has been considered a classic of the American theatre ever since.
The play begins with an introduction from the Stage Manager, a character who performs several functions throughout the play - narrator, philosopher, stagehand, and occasionally actor, on the few occasions when the Stage Manager portrays a character other than himself. The Stage Manager tells the audience the names of the author, producer, director and actors, reveals the name of.....
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