Our Town American Classics Edition: A Play in Three Acts

by Thornton Wilder, Sarah Ruhl (Introduction)

Overview

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

“Our Town leaves us with a sense of blessing, and the unspoken but palpable command to achieve gratitude in what remains of our days on earth.” — The New Yorker

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present this library of American classics drawn from our storied catalog. Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of life in the mythical village of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire has been a beloved American classic for nearly a century. It is the story of a love affair that asks timeless questions about love, life, and death.

It explores the relationship between young neighbors George Gibbs and Emily Webb, whose childhood friendship blossoms into romance, then marriage. With poignancy and loving irony, this landmark of world drama, hailed by everyone from Edward Albee to Albert Einstein, shows what it means to appreciate life while we’re living it, and considers what awaits us after that.

Widely considered one of the greatest American plays of all time, Our Town debuted on Broadway in 1938 and continues to be performed on stages around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063496675
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/05/2026
Series:	HarperCollins American Classics
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

THORNTON WILDER (1897–1975) is the only writer to win Pulitzer Prizes for both drama (Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth) and fiction (The Bridge of San Luis Rey). He collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock on Shadow of a Doubt, hiked the Alps with the heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney, received a Bronze Star for his service in World War II, and was credited with discovering Orson Welles. He was also a much-loved teacher, letter-writer (especially with Gertrude Stein), and public speaker—in four languages. Hello, Dolly! is based on his play The Matchmaker. Learn more about his extraordinary life and work at thorntonwilder.com.

Editorial Reviews

Taking as his material three periods in the history of a placid New Hampshire town, Mr. Wilder has transmuted the simple events of human life into universal reverie. He has given familiar facts a deeply moving, philosophical perspective. . . . Our Town is one of the finest achievements of the current stage.” — Brooks Atkinson, American theater critic

“Its astringent distillation of life and death in the fictional early-20th-century town of Grover’s Corners, N.H., is desperately needed. . . so Americans can remember who we are. . . . The true American faith endures in 'Our Town'.” — Frank Rich, New York Times

“Wilder’s unfashionable insistence on embracing wonders as well as woe is both gallant and exhilarating. . . . Our Town leaves us with a sense of blessing, and the unspoken but palpable command to achieve gratitude in what remains of our days on earth” — The New Yorker

"Our Town demonstrates in the most gentle way, the most celebrational way, how difficult it is to be a human being." — Will Eno, American playwright

"Our Town is probably the finest play ever written by an American." — Edward Albee

"In Our Town, Wilder cautions us to recognize that life is both precious and ordinary, and that these two fundamental truths are intimately connected." — New York Times

From the Publisher