Father, daughter take the stage in ‘Our Town’
TROY, N.Y. » It is difficult to describe “Our Town” in a way that does justice to the subtle emotional power of the Thornton Wilder play. The work which plays at Russell Sage College in Troy Friday through October 14, has for 80 years remained one of the most popular plays in American literature. And this, despite the fact that it has no special effects, no puppets or performers flying through the air.
“The play has real power in its simplicity. It’s not a complex story, but it’s almost profound the way it touches on the wonder of human existence” says David Baecker, a member of the Sage faculty, who teaches acting at the school and serves as the Chair of the Department of Arts and Letters.
A member of Actor’s Equity, Baecker is playing the role of the Stage Manager.
During rehearsals he has come to realize that working on a play that elevates ordinary lives into existential poetry can affect the performer as much as it does an audience.
He’s taught at Sage for 16 years, and directs at least one play a year. However, it is rare for him to act in a Sage production and the experience is revelatory.
“There are times in rehearsal when I get kind of weepy,” he says. He plays the role of the Stage Manager, a character who acts as sort of a narrator. “There are moments when I have to look out at the audience to describe a scene or relate to the emotion of the moment. Then I turn around and see my amazing students giving life to the words. It’s very powerful and extremely rewarding. I take an immense sense of pride in their work,” he says.
Adding to the emotional quotient of the experience is that the role of Rebecca Gibbs is played by his 9-year old daughter, Eleanor. “It’s really cool,” he says. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be, but I am constantly amazed at her poise and confidence. I can’t express how much be- ing on stage together means to me.”
In a separate interview, Eleanor casually critiqued her father’s performance. “He’s pretty good,” she says. However, she is sensitive to the enormity of his role. “I think he’s sometimes scared about all the lines he has to learn,” she says. “I try to help him run lines on the way home.”
When told of his daughter’s comment, Baecker responded saying, “I think it can be a good thing for a child to understand that a parent can feel vulnerable. It’s one of the many ways the experience is deepening our bond.”
Clearly, having Eleanor Baecker play the precocious Rebecca Gibbs is right out of central casting, especially when she describes her character. “She has a lot to say for a little kid.” Too, she admires her character’s spunk, “She’s not afraid to tell someone what she thinks. But she’s very openminded and never judges. I like that about her.”
As for the material: the college professor finds the beauty in the language and the simplicity of the story telling, “The language can sometimes sound formal but is, in its own way, elo- quent. The story is simple, yet it is as complicated as life itself.”
The fifth-grader is more direct. “It’s about life. You’re born, you live, then you die. It gets you thinking about the point of life,” she says. As for her overall opinion of the play? “It’s peaceful,” she says.
David Baecker, describes the Stage Manager as “a person who tells the story but isn’t part of it. You take his word on good authority because he’s someone you can trust.” In other words he might be the kind of man who as a teacher is willing to become a peer with his students, and as a father is comfortable to be a member of the cast along with his young daughter.
“Our Town” at the Schacht Fine Arts Center on the campus of Russell Sage College in Troy. For tickets and schedule, call 518-2442248 or go to sage.edu/ theatre.