Our Town is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens. Throughout, Wilder uses metatheatrical devices, setting the play in the actual theatre where it is being performed. The main character is the stage manager of the theatre, who directly addresses the audience, brings in guest lecturers, fields questions from the audience, and fills-in playing some of the roles. The play is performed without a set on a mostly bare stage. With a few exceptions, the actors mime actions without the use of props. Our Town was first performed at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey in 1938. It later went on to success on Broadway and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written," the play remains popular today and revivals are frequent.
Katharine Bard (October 19, 1916 – July 28, 1983) was an American actress. She appeared in the films The Decks Ran Red, The Interns, Johnny Cool, Inside Daisy Clover, and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life. She appeared in the television series' Suspense, Lux Video Theatre, The Millionaire, Studio One, Front Row Center, Studio 57, Goodyear Theatre, M Squad, Climax!, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Perry Mason, Peter Gunn, Playhouse 90, Sam Benedict, Alcoa Premiere, The Great Adventure, The Farmer's Daughter, The F.B.I., The Big Valley, and Insight, among others. In 1947-48, she appeared as the title character in the syndicated version of the radio series, Claudia.
Martin Ellyot Manulis (May 30, 1915 – September 28, 2007) was an American television, film, and theatre producer. Manulis was best known for his work in the 1950s, producing the CBS Television programs Suspense, Studio One Summer Theatre, Climax!, The Best of Broadway, and Playhouse 90. He was the sole producer of the award-winning drama series, Playhouse 90, during its first two seasons from 1956 to 1958. After leaving Playhouse 90, Manulis was the "head of television" for 20th Century Fox Television, where he was responsible for creating and producing the series' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Adventures in Paradise, and Five Fingers. In 1962, he produced the film, Days of Wine and Roses, starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick.