Grand Opening

Grand Opening is the upper Midwest's version of Our Town (right down to the wandering narrator of the film who is the adult version of one of the players), It's set to a commercial theme. A wide-eyed young couple with a teenage son eschew the big city life and move to the countryside into a typical small town (playwright and teacher John Hassler hailed from Minnesota). The idealistic couple plan to restore and re-open a shuttered general store in the community, and their adventures in small-town America begin with that premise. Soon, people being the people that they are, one begins to get an unflattering view of what busy-body neighbors, town drunks, local delinquents-nobody-really-understands, and apathetic bystanders have to say about "them newcomers." David Metcalf did a fine job with an ensemble cast. All the acting was as good as it usually is at the Theatre in the Round, but Kristen Mathisen stood out as the best example of a cady gossiper you'll ever find. Throughout the play one can wonder, "Where's the drama in all this?" But, hang tight, it "ain't over till it's over" is the theme and an audience member gets rewarded with some tight drama toward the end.

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