Question

According to the Stage Manager in Act I of Our Town, "There's some scenery for those who think they have to have scenery." Why does Wilder keep the scenery minimal? to illustrate the simplicity of life in Grover's Corners to put the emphasis on people and life so the Stage Manager is more free to move about to force the audience to use its imagination

Answer 1

The correct answer is “to force the audience to use its imagination”.

Wilder wanted to challenge the audience to the see the play for what it was – a play. He wasn’t a fan of the common convention of real-life theatre. It was popular at the time to fill the stage with artifacts to make it seem like there was a specific time and place in the play, carrying the audience on a journey. Instead, Wilder rejected that aspect, he did not wish for the illusion of real life, as he actively encouraged the audience to see the artifice.