Joe 1: Existential Crises and Really, Really Bad Hair

Over the past weekend, Nazareth Area High School Theater Troupe opened our production of Our Town. Written by Thorton Wilder in 1937, the show has stood the test of time because of its timeless themes, heartfelt story, and, most importantly, how dirt cheap it is to produce. The set consisted of two tables, an assortment of chairs, two ladders, and a wooden board.

I was cast as Charles Webb, a charismatic newspaper editor for the small town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. The father of the romantic lead of the show, Mr. Webb had no shortage of things to do on stage. At one point, my character addresses the audience directly, even walking off the stage and standing among the crowd for a short time. I will admit, I was having a lot of fun.

One of the defining elements of my character was his hairstyle. Anybody who knows me knows I prefer to let my mop of hair just do its own thing with a little bit of styling to make sure I don’t look like I’m a jungle child. So, naturally, the costume department told me these instructions; “get it flat and part it down the middle.”

Well dignity, it was great knowing you.

This is probably the place to give my sister due credit, as she valiantly embarked on the hair wrestling quest with me. She doused my hair with the showerhead while I loudly complained it was too cold, and then meticulously parted it with a broken comb until we cemented it with enough gel to pave our road. All for the end result that made me look like a fresh egg.

All joking aside, Our Town was a very compelling experience for me in many aspects. For one, it required me to act in ways I wasn’t really used to. There was a great scene where I awkwardly fudge my way through a conversation with my son-in-law to-be until we are both utterly lost. The complex themes of retrospective death and living in the moment also touched a lot of people. My own father, who had never cried in front of me in my 16 years of life, was misty-eyed as he gave me a big hug after the curtains closed.

I think Thorton Wilder was onto something when he told the tale of a life in Grover’s Corners. Maybe the hair has evolved past being a built-in bike helmet of hair gel, but the show truly told a tale that can be taken to heart in any era. I think that’s what sticks with me so much coming away from this experience. So much of life is consistent no matter who you are, where you are, when you are. It’s a reassuring thing to consider.

Thanks, Mr. Wilder.