“Let’s Look at One Another”
On his mother’s side Thornton Wilder was the great-grandson of Arthur Tappan, co-founder with his brother, Lewis, of the American Anti-Slavery Society, and on his father’s side he was related to the Lincoln family. In a most appropriate setting, this pre-performance seminar features Tappan Wilder, the playwright’s nephew and literary executor, in a dialogue with Penelope Niven, author of a major new Wilder biography.
In Act 3 of Our Town, Emily pleads with her mother: “Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me … Let’s look at one another.” Wilder and Niven will explore the themes and perspectives of family in Our Town and other plays as well as novels by Thornton Wilder—looking at his own family history, from his abolitionist ancestors to his parents and siblings to the great human family.
A copy of Niven’s newly released biography, Thornton Wilder: A Life, and a light dinner are included in the price of admittance. Tickets to ‘Our Town’ sold separately.
This event is presented in conjunction with the 75th anniversary production of Our Town, playing at Ford’s Theatre from January 25-February 24, 2013.
Read The New York Times review of Niven’s book.
Tickets are on-sale to members and groups now for $40. Tickets go on sale to the public on January 6, 2013, for $45.
For more information, please visit the event page on the Ford’s Theatre website.