American playwright Thornton Wilder was born.
A snarky funny anecdote about Wilder from Tennessee Williams’s Memoirs
Streetcar opened in New Haven in early November of 1947, and nobody seemed to know what the notices were or to be greatly concerned. After the New Haven opening night we were invited to the quarters of Mr. Thornton Wilder, who was in residence there. It was like having a papal audience. We all sat about this academic gentleman while he put the play down as if delivering a papal bull. He said that it was based upon a fatally mistaken premise. No female who had ever been a lady (he was referring to Stella) could possibly marry a vulgarian such as Stanley.
We sat there and listened to him politely. I thought, privately, This character has never had a good lay.
This one below is one of my favorite anecdotes of all time. It comes from the book The Actor’s Chekhov
Interview with PETER HUNT:
When you hit your head on a wall, back up and go another direction. Don’t be afraid to say you’re wrong.
My favorite example of that is the Our Town story. Nikos [Psacharapolus] was directing, and Thornton Wilder himself was playing the Stage Manager. For some reason he and I struck up a friendship, and one day we were standing and talking, and Nikos burst out of the rehearsal room and came up to Thornton and said, “The scene isn’t working.” And Thornton Wilder said, “What? The scene isn’t working?” Nikos said, “Yeah, George and Emily, they’re on the ladder, doing the homework scene.” And Thornton said, “What’s wrong with it?” And Nikos said, “It doesn’t work.” And Thornton said, “What are you talking about, it’s a Pulitzer-Prize winning play, it works!” And Nikos said, “It’s not working. They’re up there, I’m playing all the values, they’re in love, he’s in love with her, they want to get married â but it’s not working.” Thornton’s jaw drops to the floor and he says, “My lord, what are you doing? It’s very simple! He’s stupid and she’s smart, and if he doesn’t get the algebra questions for tomorrow’s homework, he’s going to flunk. THAT’S IT.” And Nikos said, “But Thornton, it’s a love scene!” And Thornton said, “That’s for the audience to decide.” And Nikos said, “Got it!” And he rips open the door to the rehearsal room and yells, “Everything we worked on is off! You’re dumb, you’re smart! Play it!”
If you have ever seen Our Town
My tribute piece to Paul Newman includes an analysis of one of his moments as The Stage Manager in Our Town, and how he said a certain line in a way I had never heard it before. A way that made beautiful horrible sense, and made me see that moment in a new light. A true tribute to the power of that American classic.
And finally. This:
What is that, you may ask? A page from Thornton Wilder’s copy of Finnegans Wake
Thornton Wilder said:
“I am not interested in … such subjects as the adulteries of dentists. I am interested in those things that repeat and repeat and repeat in the lives of the millions.”
Happy birthday, sir.
