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OT:OUR TOWN. A Famous American Play in an Infamous American Town

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THis documentary (and I hate to use that word, as it sounds so dreary) is set in a high school in a particularly awful Southern California community -- Compton. The only good thing about the school is the basketball team (one of the players goes directly to the Chicago Bulls after graduation) and the students tend to get pregnant (the girls) or get shot (the boys). A couple of idealistic teachers decide that it's time to try putting on a play -- something that hasn't happened in ages (if at all) at this high school. They pick Our Town, which is perhaps an odd choice given how middle America Our Town is, and how -- diverse -- the students at Dominguez H.S. in Compton are (Hispanic and African American). The students think a play sounds like fun but then they think they don't like the play and what if no-one comes to see them, etc. The teachers have trouble with students coming to rehearsal and memorizing their lines. The high school has no stage (great gym, however).

I won't tell you how the play turns out -- I was concerned myself the closer they got to opening day and couldn't imagine what it was like for the teachers.

I wish movies like this were more widely distributed. For one thing, getting to know the student actors in this movie helped you see the real diversity in Compton -- how different but real each student was, how in some ways the stereotype was true (violence is a big problem in Compton and the students aren't self-disciplined and bring quite a lot of baggage to class) and yet they have potential, talent, and their own stories to tell.

I highly recommend this movie.

Catherine Borek, a teacher at the Dominguez High School in Compton, California, an area of Los Angeles County known for its gangs and drive-by shootings, had the inspired and daring idea to have her class perform Thornton Wilder's "Our Town." Borek re-created the play to reflect the environment of the students, and in directing the production, she sometimes uses "tough love" to push them to their limits, urging them to learn their lines, and express themselves in a way that is foreign to them. Also directing them is teacher Karen Greene, and with no budget and little time, they put the show on in the cafeteria, in makeshift costumes, and fortunately, "Our Town" requires no more than some chairs and a table for scenery.

We get to see some the home life of the teens, but most of the film centers on their preparation for the play, and their enthusiasm for the project grows as the performance date draws near. The film ends with portions of the performance, and it is funny, touching, and wonderful to see the kids doing so well, in a play that one would think would be hard to transpose to present day Southern California. As a reference, clips from the 1977 television production starring Hal Holbrook and Robby Benson are used, during the preparatory footage.

Scott Hamilton Kennedy directed this documentary, and the students, though not famous yet, deserve mention. It stars Ebony Norwood-Brown as The Stage Manager, Archie Posada as George Gibbs, Armia Robinson as Emily Webb, and others in the cast include Jackie Oliver, Christopher Patterson, and José Perez. One hopes that having succeeded in this challenge, these students will continue to excel in more plays, and other areas of their lives. This was the first play presented by the Dominguez High School in 21 years, and Ms. Borek should be lauded for her courage and vision. Perhaps with this documentary as inspiration, more inner city schools will attempt to do this marvelous play, which is the most performed play in American theater history, and now has been proved to adapt well to its surroundings. Total running time is 76 minutes.

The documentary "OT: Our Town" is a must for theatre education. It shows how the process of putting on a play instills teamwork, professionalism and discipline. Everyone in the group is so dependent on the success of each individual that it really is an excellent experience that students can use in many walks of life. This documentary is particularly fulfilling set in Compton, California at Dominguez High. Not having put on a play for 20 years, the teachers had to fight an uphill battle without funding to be able to stage Thornton Wilder's show. Some of the charm of the documentary comes from watching how the largely Black & Hispanic cast adapt the show to be meaningful in their world. One scene where a cast member talks about all the people they know who have been killed and then relates that to the death at Grovers Corner tugs at your heartstrings. Watching the students stage that kiss between George & Emily is hilarious and charming. This film is excellent because it shows how relevant theatre can be. Enjoy!

If you love the play Our Town, if you're a teacher who has taught Our Town and tried to get your students to see the power, the relevancy and the charm of this American classic, OT: Our Town is a story you will want to watch and share with your students. I had my kids read the play and then I showed them this movie. One of the kids put it this way: "That movie actually wasn't boring!" High praise indeed from a high school junior these days, and if you too are in the classroom you know exactly what I mean. This is a wonderful documentary, very touching and relevant and filled with human truth. And it shows just how timeless the message of Our Town is!

This is an amazing and inspirational documentary. Two teachers at Dominguez High School in Compton, California take on the daunting task of producing the first play there in over twenty years despite no budget, no stage (they finally improvise one in the school cafeteria) and little support from the administration. The play they choose is Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN set in a small New Hampshire town early in the twentieth century. What could a play set in staid New England almost a century ago have to say to African American and Hispanic teenagers living in a city known for its crime and poverty? At first the students' answer would have been "nothing " but the skilled teachers (Catherine Borek and Karen Greene) guide them to the universality in the dramatic text and help them creatively relate it to their present experience. Interviews and home visits with some of the cast members add to our understanding of the Compton community and the truth that "people are people" no matter where, when or how we live our journey through eternity.

This doc knocked my socks off! If anything could make you believe in the universally transformative power of art, this might be it. At first it seems impossible: get a bunch of South Central L.A. kids in a violence plagued high school to bring a play about small town americana to life?!? But, somehow, these kids take the first step to end a 20 year absence of dramatic productions at their school and throw themselves into interpreting the timelessness of a classic play on their own terms. What happens on screen is nothing short of gripping and will make you believe in the power of art to elevate the human condition and cross any cultural divide. By the end of this documentary, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck as I held back the tears. This is an incredibly moving experience that I can't recommend more highly.

Two aspects of this movie really struck me. One is that kids are kids, whether they're in a wealthy suburb or Compton (though their different circumstances _do_ affect them substantially). The other is that one person (in this case, one teacher) can make a huge difference in young people's lives. I sometimes feel burned out after ten years as a middle school teacher, but seeing the teacher in Compton give these kids love and inspiration - and bring out the best in them - reminded me how important and rewarding teaching can be. This film will open your eyes and warm your heart.

Dominguez High, in infamous Compton, CA, has not produced a play in over twenty years. With no money and no stage, two teachers and twenty-four students attempt to produce Thornton Wilder's American Classic OUR TOWN. That introduction would lead the casual viewer to believe that Scott Hamilton Kennedy's O.T. Our Town was just an average documentary about kids overcoming the odds and putting on a high school play' but in Kennedy's hands the film becomes much more than that. It becomes a picture of life for the average kid in Compton. A place where everything except perhaps basketball is a daily struggle.

Much of the success of the project is due to two dedicated teachers Catherine Borek and Karen Greene who infuse the film with their enthusiasm. These are the kind of teachers that most schools would dream of having. They are intent on bringing art into a situation where any culture is sorely lacking. But the kids stories are just as important. It is their story that is being told here as well. They manage to overcome adversity to do something that no one in their school has done in over twenty years. They are the pioneers who must get the new theatre program started even if they must face adversity to do it.

By the time the film's short running time is over the audience is taught a powerful lesson: that times and circumstances may indeed change but people no matter where they are from remain basically the same. We all seek acceptance and a chance to make a better life for ourselves. We also are brought face to face with how important art is in our lives even though we may not realize this at first.

The Film Movement edition presents the film with a commentary by Kennedy, Borek and girl who plays the show's Stage Manager Ebony Starr Norwood-Brown which should not be missed. Also presented is some bonus footage and the short film Borders.

Well worth the time spent watching and it presents some interesting thoughts on the nature of education in the inner cities of America.

OT:Our Town presents an oasis of hope in a desert of despair. The teacher and students who take part in the theater production we, the audience, get to observe will connect with you at that indiscriminate part of you that sees beyond class and racial differences. We all too often focus on the impossibilities of urban/ghetto life and fail to allow for those resilient flowers that make a life growing between the cracks. If we are willing to believe, we can accomplish whatever goal we strive towards. Such is the message of this documentary.