As we are commencing a study of the play "Our Town", today's first session addressed elements of a theatrical performance such as the stage directions, dialogue ,and the role of the stage manager and director. We discussed the difference between seeing a movie and a stage performance noting the theatre as a collective experience with interaction between the audience and the actors. Jaydn has seen a number of plays on Broadway and participated in class discussion including the concept of the "suspension of disbelief". I then addressed how playwrights can break down the wall between the actors and the audience . I discussed the purpose and role of the stage manager in "Our Town " as the equivalent of the Greek chorus and a vehicle to break down the invisible wall between the play's action and the audience. During our second session, we began studying Act I. I stressed the motif of time and the passage of time and as we read the opening pages Jaydn examined and commented on events and dialogue that directly or indirectly illustrate this motif. We further noted how the stage manager narrator is outside the time frame of the play's action and is able to comment on the future of the characters' lives. I highlighted that the play is ultimately very life affirming despite its emphasis on the passing of time and its consequences.