>>> NEXT, THE CULTURE BLOCK.

A BROADWAY REVIVAL OF AN AMERICAN CLASSIC AIMS TO REMIND US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTION.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 20 YEARS, "OUR TOWN" HAS RETURNED WITH A STAR-STUDDED CAST.

THE THORNTON WILDER PLAY FOLLOWS THE LIVES OF TWO FAMILIES IN A SMALL TOWN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AT THE TURN OF THE 20th CENTURY.

NOW, TONY-AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR KENNELY LEON IS REIMAGINING IT FOR A MODERN AUDIENCE.

HE IS HERE WITH JIM PARSONS AND KATIE HOLMES TO DISCUSS THEIR SPIN ON A TIMELESS TALE.

>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> "OUR TOWN" IS A STAPLE OF HIGH SCHOOL THEATER COMPANIES AND COMMUNITY THEATERS.

KATIE AND JIM, I'LL START WITH YOU BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WERE THEATER KIDS.

DID YOU EVER SEE THE PLAY WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

DO YOU REMEMBER IT?

>> I DID NOT SEE A PRODUCTION OF IT, NO.

>> YOU NEVER SAW IT?

KATIE?

>> I NEVER SAW IT.

I HAD NEVER READ IT.

I KNEW THAT PAUL NAUMAN HAD DONE IT BUT THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF MY KNOWLEDGE.

>> WOW!

OKAY, KENNY, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> I USED TO HATE THE PLAY.

I SAID OH, APPLY GOD.

THERE IS NO DIVERSITY.

THAT IS THE WAY THE WORLD LOOKS AND THE WAY THEY SOUND.

>> AS A THEATER KID, YOU SAW IT IN HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU THOUGHT -- WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

>> MY CLASS INTEGRATED MY SCHOOL IN ST. PETERSBERG, FLORIDA.

IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT BLACK STUDENTS WERE IN SCHOOL WITH WHITE STUDENTS.

AND THERE WAS NO VISION FOR THE BLACK STUDENTS TO BE IN A PLAY THAT WAS NOT MEANT FOR BLACK STUDENTS.

AND I ONLY STARTED SEEING MYSELF IN IT IN THE YEAR THAT THE HURRICANE WAS IN PUERTO RICO AND SCARLET JOHANSSON AND I GOT TOGETHER AND DID A FUND-RAISER.

WE DID "OUR TOWN."

I CASTED IT THE WAY A BLACK MAN WOULD SEE THE PLAY ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE FROM MARVEL CAST.

IT'S A HUGE, BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL PLAY THERE.

IF I EVER DO THIS PLAY, I'M GOING TO CAST IT THE WAY I SEE IT AND I'M GOING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE AMERICA.

FLASH FORWARD, ALL OF THESE YEARS LATER, YOU GET JIM PARSONS AND KATIE HOLMES AND THIS WONDERFUL CAST.

IT IS ONE OF THE BEST PLAYS EVER WRITTEN.

SO IT'S US MEETING THORN WILDER WHERE HE MEANT IT TO BE.

>> THE NAME OF THE TOWN IS GROVER'S CORNERS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

JUST ACROSS THE MASSACHUSETTS LINE.

LATITUDE, 42 DEGREES, 40 MINUTES.

LONGITUDE, 70 DEGREES, 37 MINUTES.

THE FIRST ACT SHOWS A DAY IN OUR TOWN.

THE DAY IS MAY 7th, 901.

>> SO JIM PARSONS, YOU'RE THE AUDIENCE'S GUIDE THROUGH GROVERS CORNERS.

WHAT DOES BEING THE STAGE MANAGER MEAN TO YOU?

>> MY UNDERSTANDING, MY OPINION IS THAT IT IS PARTIALLY THORNTON WILDER.

I BELIEVE IT IS, MORE THAN ANY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE PLAY, IT'S AS MUCH HIS VOICE AS ANYBODY ELSE'S.

AND I REALLY FIRMLY CAME TO BELIEVE THAT IT REALLY IS A ROLE THAT IS WHOEVER IS PLAYING IT.

I MEAN -- THE LEVEL OF HONESTY THAT THIS PLAY STARTS WITH IN ITS WORDS.

THE FIRST LANE IN THE PLAY IS, THIS LITTLE PLAY IS CALLED "OUR TOWN."

IT WAS WRITTEN BY THORNTON WILDER.

YOU KIND OF GIVE UP THE LIE FROM THE MOMENT THE LIGHTS COME UP.

HIS JOB IS ENTIRE TIME IS TO KEEP BEING THE CONDUIT BETWEEN YOU THE AUDIENCE AND THESE ACTORS WHO ARE PORTRAYING THESE CHARACTERS.

IT WAS A HIGHER DEGREE OF HONESTY THAN I WAS PERHAPS USED TO.

I'M NOT REALLY HIDING BEHIND VERY MUCH AS A HUMAN UP THERE.

I HAVE TO BE HONEST.

IT'S NOT MY WORDS BUT IT'S AS MUCH ME AS I CAN MUSTER, WITH SOMEBODY ELSE'S WORDS.

AND THAT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL CHALLENGE.

I THINK THAT IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL GROWING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.

AND I HOPE THAT IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL FOR THE AUDIENCE.

>> KATIE, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

YOU PLAY MRS. WEBB.

SHE'S A WIFE, MOTHER OF TWO.

SHE'S VERY MUCH ABSORBED INTO THE DETAILS OF DAILY LIFE.

ONE OF THE TWO PRINCIPLE FAMILIES THAT GROUND THE PLAY.

THE PRIMARY STORY LINE CENTERS ON YOUR DAUGHTER, EMILY WEBB, AND GEORGE GIBBS, THE NEIGHBOR'S SON.

FOR PEOPLE HAD A DON'T KNOW THE PLAY, WHY DOES THIS RELATIONSHIP MATTER?

>> I THINK WHAT I HAVE FOUND IN PLAYING THIS CHARACTER, AT FIRST, SHE FELT A LITTLE FAR AWAY BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE PLAY IS FOR THE EARLY 1900s.

AND THERE IS THIS SCENE BETWEEN MRS. WEBB AND MRS. GIBBS WHERE IT'S VERY OBVIOUS THAT THESE TWO WOMEN, THEIR LIVES ARE DICTATED BY WHAT THEIR HUSBANDS ALLOW THEM TO DO AND THIS IS BEFORE WOMEN COULD VOTE.

ONE COULD LOOK AT THESE WOMEN AS, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE FREEDOMS OF THE LIVES THAT WOMEN HAVE TODAY.

PAR THEM.

BUT IN THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING THE PLAY AND TAKING ON THIS CHARACTER AND ALSO, REALLY ENJOYING THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MRS. WEBB AND MRS. GIBBS, AND THE JOY OF THESE WOMEN.

THE HONOR THAT MRS. WEBB SEEMS TO HAVE OF NOURISHING HER FAMILY AND TAKING CARE OF THEM AND THE LOVE LANGUAGE OF CONTACTING FOR THEM EVERY DAY.

SHE'S USING HER HANDS.

SHE'S USING HER HANDS TO PULL THOSE BEANS, TO MAKE DINNER, TO BE THERE, TO LOVE.

AND THE JOURNEY OF HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER CHILDREN TO ME IS JUST A PART OF THE OVERALL THEME OF LIFE.

WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS PROCESS OF TIME.

THINGS BLOSSOM, THERE IS A PASSING.

AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR US.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ REVIEWS.

IF YOU DON'T, I APOLOGIZE.

I WANT THE READ FROM "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REVIEW.

THE REVIEWER WROTE, IF YOU THINK OF THE PLAY AS SMALL, SWEET, OR OLD-FASHIONED, I RESPECTFULLY OFFER THAT YOU HAVE THE SOUL OF A ROCK.

IN ANY GOOD ENOUGH PRODUCTION, "OUR TOWN" IS "TITANIC."

BEYOND TIME AND BRUTAL.

BRUTAL.

SO CAN I JUST HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU ON THAT?

>> RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, I WAS DOING A PLAY ON BROADWAY.

A SOLDIER'S PLAY.

AND BROADWAY SHUT DOWN.

AND I FELT LIKE OUR INDUSTRY WILL BE THE LAST THING THAT WILL COME BACK.

THE ONLY THING I KNEW, IF IT EVER CAME BACK, THE PLAY THAT I HAD ALREADY SIGNED A CONTRACT TO DO WAS TO DO "OUR TOWN."

AND I SAID, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

WHAT DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT THAT?

YOU GO FROM THE PANDEMIC, FROM WHERE WE WERE DIVIDED, SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER, AWAY FROM THE GOOD IN US, THE JOY IN US, I HAD THIS ON OUR BACK PORCH THINKING ABOUT "OUR TOWN" BEING A METAPHOR FOR OUR WORLD, OUR COUNTRY, OUR TIME, OUR PEOPLE, OUR COMMUNITY, AND I FELT THAT THORNTON WILDER WROTE A LOVE LETTER.

HE DIDN'T KNOW IT BUT HE WAS WRITING A LOVE LETTER TO THE FUTURE SO EVERY GENERATION OF THIS PLAY IS DIFFERENT.

I SORT OF REACHED DOWN AND HAND-PICKED THE PEOPLE THAT I THOUGHT COULD HELP ME TRANSLATE THIS VERSION OF "OUR TOWN" TO OUR WORLD AND HOPED THAT OUR POLITICIANS WOULD HEAR IT.

OUR COMMUNITIES WOULD HEAR IT.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR PEOPLE SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

BLACK AND WHAT IT.

BROWN AND YELLOW WOULD GET IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR GOOD, WE COULD BE BEAUTIFUL, WE COULD BE JOYOUS.

WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET.

SO EVERY NIGHT, I'M HOPING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE COME TO SEE THIS PLAY IN HOPES THAT WE'RE ALL, WE COULD BE IN A PURSUIT OF A MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND FOCUS ON THE GOOD IN US.

>> JIM, AS THE STAGE MANAGER, YOU'RE ON STAGE FOR MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE PLAY.

AND YOU SEE THE AUDIENCE.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT MOMENTS MOVE THEM, OR HOW THEY RESPOND TO IT.

>> THERE ARE TWO THINGS IN OUR PRODUCTION THAT HAVE SURPRISED ME.

ONE IS THAT IT IS FREQUENTLY A MUCH FUNNIER PLAY THAN I THINK SOME PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WERE PREPARED FOR.

AND IT IS ALSO SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE SILENCES I'VE EVER HEARD FROM A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN AN AUDIENCE BEFORE.

I THINK YOU CAN PICK MANY THINGS THAT YOU THINK ARE BRUTAL IN THIS PLAY.

THE ONE THAT COMES TO ME THE MOST, TO WATCH ALL THIS DAILY MOVING AND SHUFFLING AROUND THAT WE DO, AND BY THE END OF THE PLAY, PART OF THE MESSAGE SEEMS TO BE, ALL OF THAT THAT WAS GOING ON WAS KIND OF WHAT BLINDED US TO REALLY SEEING EACH OTHER WHILE WE ARE HERE AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THAT IS BRUTAL, IN MY OPINION.

I ALSO THINK WHEN EMILY, THE CHARACTER, ASKS IF ANYONE SEES IT ALL, EVERY MOMENT, AND THE STAGE MANAGER SAYS NO.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S AS BRUTAL AS IT IS FORGIVING.

I THINK TO ME THE MESSAGE IS, THIS IS THE FACT OF WHAT IT IS TO BE ALIVE.

BUT THERE IS ALSO NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT TOO MUCH.

YOU TRY AND CONNECT.

TRY AND LOVE.

BUT FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU'LL FAIL TO MISS ALL THESE HUMAN MOMENTS.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS TO BE ON THIS EARTH.

>> ONE OF JIM'S FIRST LINES IN THE PLAY IS, NO ONE REMARKABLE EVER CAME FROM THIS TOWN.

I WONDERED, WHAT DID THAT BRING OUT FOR YOU?

>> OUR SOCIETY FOR YEARS HAS VALUED REMARKABLE PEOPLE.

THE PEOPLE HAD A STAND OUT.

AS IF IT IS A FREE PASS FOR MORE TIME OR SOMETHING ELSE.

WHAT I THINK THIS PLAY IS TRYING TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE IS THAT WE ARE ALL INVOLVED IN LIFE.

AND NOBODY CAN ESCAPE ALL THE PARTS OF LIFE.

AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND THEY ARE HARD.

AND I LOVE THAT.

AND I LOVE THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY AS WELL.

THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO DIVISION IN THIS TOWN AND I THINK AGAIN, WHEN WE START SEPARATING PEOPLE, THE SUCCESSFUL, THE NONSUCCESSFUL.

THERE IS A GAP ALL OF A SUDDEN.

WHAT UNITES US IS WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER.

AND WE ALL DO FEEL THE SAME THINGS.

AND WILL THIS PLAY REMINDS PEOPLE, YEAH, WE'RE ALL DOING THIS, TOO.

ALSO, I WANTED TO BRING UP WHAT I THINK HAPPENS WITH THIS PLAY IS, YOU KNOW, THE MOMENTS WHERE EVERYONE FREEZES AND THE CHARACTERS START TO HAVE THESE FEELINGS.

I THINK WITH GREAT PLAYS, YOU ALLOW FOR THE CONFUSION OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE WHICH IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.

OR LIKE GEORGE, ONE MINUTE HE DOESN'T WANT TO GET MARRIED AND THE NEXT HE'S FINE.

THAT CONFUSION STARTS TO SEEP IN.

THAT'S THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, HUMAN NAME.

THEN AT THE END IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER ANYWAY.

NOT REALLY, BUT I MAY NOT, WE KEEP LEADING THE AUDIENCE TO THAT, AND BEING THAT IS THE JOURNEY OF LIFE.

>> SO NEAR THE END OF THE PLAY, EMILY ASKS THAT FAMOUS QUESTION.

DO ANY HUMAN BEINGS EVER REALIZE LIFE WHILE THEY LIVE IT?

I DID WANT TO ASK IF WORKING WITH THIS MATERIAL MADE YOU FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE SMALL MOMENTS IN YOUR LIVES IN.

>> I THINK WITHOUT A DOUBT.

I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS REHEARSAL ROOM WERE THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO WERE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO DO EXACTLY THAT WITH OR WITHOUT THIS PLAY.

BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN IMPOSSIBLE.

AND OUR GROUP DYNAMIC, OUR GROUP EVERY NIGHT, NOT JUST ON STAGE BUT OFFSTAGE, THE WAY WE FEEL ABOUT EACH OTHER GIVES CREDENCE TO THE IDEA THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT.

I SEE EVERYTHING DIFFERENTLY.

AND I WANT TO ALSO SAY, AT KENNY'S INIT IS SENSE THAT WE ALL BRING OURSELVES TO THESE ROLES.

I'VE NEVER HAD A DIRECTOR INSIST SO MUCH ON THAT FOR THE ENTIRE CAST.

THE MORE WE'VE PLAYED THIS, THE MORE I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW EVERYBODY THROUGH THE PROCESS, LIKE KATIE AS AN EXAMPLE, THAT MRS. WEBB IS KATIE'S MRS. WEBB.

THERE ARE A MILLION WAYS YOU COULD SAY THOSE LINES.

A MILLION PRESENTATIONS AND TONES YOU COULD HAVE.

IT IS PURE KATIE.

AND I HOPE THAT MY STAGE MANAGER IS THE SAME WAY.

THE MORE WE'RE DOING THIS, THE MORE I THINK THAT IS AS POWERFUL AN ELEMENT WITH THIS AS ANYTHING ELSE.

EVERY PART IS BEING SPOKEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE VERY GENUINELY FROM THE INDIVIDUAL THAT IS THERE.

>> WHAT ABOUT YOU?

IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT WORKING WITH THIS MATERIAL THAT MADE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE SMALL MOMENTS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I NOTICED IN MY OWN LIFE, REALLY BEING PRESENT.

WHEN I START TO FEEL LIKE EVEN IN GENERAL.

I'VE GOT TO RUSH TO THE SHOW.

AM I RUNNING LATE?

I GO, NOPE, I'M NOT GOING TO DO.

THAT.

I'M GOING TO ENJOY MY SHOWER.

I'M GOING TO STAY WHERE I AM.

AND IT HAS MADE ME REALLY SEE PEOPLE AND ALSO, I THINK BECAUSE THIS PLAY OFFERS YOU THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT'S SO SOLID.

YOU CAN GO IN ONE NIGHT THINK AND, I THINK THAT LINE MEANS THIS.

AND YOU CAN JUST PLAY A LITTLE, PLAY WITH IT A LITTLE BIT.

AND I'VE NOTICED THAT NOW IN LIFE, I AM NOT REACTING TO THINGS SO QUICKLY.

I GO OH, WAIT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO COMPREHEND THIS.

AND A LOT OF WAYS NOW THAT I CAN COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE.

I'M GOING TO TAKE A BEAT.

IT'S ALL UP FOR INTERPRETATION.

YOU KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER.

HOW CAN I LOOK AT THIS SITUATION AND KNOW THAT I MADE THE BEST CHOICE.

>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE SPEECH YOU MADE ON OPENING NIGHT.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT OF BEING AN AMERICAN.

YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EXPERIMENT ABOUT HUMANITY OVER MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YEARS.

BUT IT'S AN EXPERIMENT.

AN AMERICAN EXPERIMENT.

AND WE AIN'T GOT IT RIGHT YET.

BUT LORD, LET'S NOT GO BACK.

THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT.

THE REASON THAT I RAISE THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU STARTED WORKING THIS PLAY BEFORE THE ELECTION THAT JUST HAPPENED.

FOR MANY PEOPLE, THIS HAS BEEN A SHOCKING AND CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE.

I WONDER IF YOU THINK IT SAYS NOW THAT IS DIFFERENT IN LIGHT OF ALL THE FEELINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE JUST GONE THROUGH?

>> AS AN AMERICAN ARTIST, I THINK THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE TIME WHERE WE FEEL MOST EMPOWERED.

AND THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO HAVE A VOICE.

AND IT REMINDS ME, JUST LIKE IN "OUR TOWN," WE'RE REALLY ALL TIED TOGETHER.

NOTHING CHANGED AFTER THE ELECTION.

WE'RE STILL ALL REALLY TIED TOGETHER.

I'M THE GRANDSON OF SHARE CROPPERS, CIVIL RIGHTS, WE WENT THROUGH RODNEY KING, WE WENT THROUGH SO MUCH AND WE'LL SURVIVE THIS.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW YOUNG THIS COUNTRY IS, HOW MANY MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YEARS THORNTON WILDER TALKS ABOUT, COMPARED TO THIS LITTLE SMALL BIT OF TIME.

WE JUST GOT FURTHER TO GO.

AND WE'RE ALL TIED TOGETHER.

SOONER OR LATER, WE'LL LEARN FROM OUR ARCHAEOLOGISTS.

WE WILL.

WE ARE AMERICANS.

WE HAD MANY PEOPLE BEFORE US TO FATE FOR US, TO LIVE FOR US, TO STAND FOR FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY.

THE WAR HAS NOT CHANGED.

THE WAR IS STILL FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY.

AND EVERY GENERATION HAS TO STAND UP FOR IT.

EVERY TIME I DIRECT SOMETHING, EVERY TIME I WRITE SOMETHING.

I'M TRYING TO ENGAGE WITH ARTISTS WHO ARE THINKING THE SAME.

AMERICA BELONGS TO THE AUFRLT NOT THE ONE, NOT THE SOME.

IT'S OUR TOWN, OUR WORLD, OUR COUNTRY.

>> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.