The mission of our high school drama depart­ment is to engage all students in the pursuit of discov­ery-based creative rehearsal and play. The goal of our theatri­cal pursuits is one of commu­nal expe­ri­ence supported by the unshak­able foun­da­tion of ensem­ble. We mash up scripts, impro­vise, and choose music to suit the needs of the collec­tive. Working from this place of exper­i­men­ta­tion, inven­tion, and inves­ti­ga­tion gives actors great domi­na­tion, freedom of inter­pre­ta­tion, and an enlivened method of address­ing theatri­cal text. Invent­ing our work ensures that members of Raven Collab­o­ra­tive will always have excit­ing roles to play (or multi­ple roles) in any given production.

This fall, we worked on Thorn­ton Wilder’s classic Amer­i­can play Our Town. Our Town is not a mash-up, but a three-act master­piece devoted to commu­nity, friend­ship, the small and mean­ing­ful moments of daily life and loss, and the journey to first love. From a place and time a century ago, Wilder gives us some musings and gentle instruc­tions on how to live in and truly appre­ci­ate our present time in all its forms. He reminds us, through his char­ac­ters and words, that time passes before we know it. That, in the end, is the big picture — we are truly only here for each other. That is our life every day. Working from a spare, modern, and spacious music score, the wonder­ful musi­cians of Waverly Music have given Our Town sonic wisdom, lush beauty, and a deep feeling tone. 

We hope that you enjoy Raven Collaborative’s offer­ing of Our Town, because we couldn’t do it without you. You, who really are…our town.