Life, death, and the hereafter as experienced by the people of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, about the turn of the century. The story is told in episodic fashion by a "stage manager" narrator, and centers around Dr. Gibbs's son George and newspaper editor Mr. Webb's daughter Emily. These two are seen going to high school together, falling in love over sodas at the corner drugstore, being married, suffering tragedy as Emily dies giving birth to her second child, and in a poignant third-act scene, united briefly at the graveside after Emily has discovered how painful a return to living can be, when one walks among those by whom the beauties of life are taken for granted. We also meet many of the other people of the fvillage, learning of their lives and dreams as they are set off against a background of social, philosophical, and religious tradition. The play is delightful yet profound; humorous, picturesque, and pathetic.

Go Back