Two Planks and a Passion Theatre will take to the trees around the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts in its presentation of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer-Prize winning drama Our Town. The production begins previews Wednesday, July 2 at 6 p.m., followed by the opening performance at the same time July 3.

Featuring 12 performers, the 2008 season builds on the tremendous success of the award-winning debut for the Theatre Off The Grid series, 2007’s production of Rick Chafe’s The Odyssey, which won the Merritt award for Outstanding Production in 2007, among others.

“Our Town is a perfect piece to perform on our outdoor stages,” says artistic director Ken Schwartz. “It’s a piece that is completely sympathetic to our artistic mission that is summed up in our company’s name - Two Planks and a Passion. Wilder even refers to the concept of a passionate and beautifully simple presentation of Our Town by invoking the idea of two planks to stand on and the passion of an artist completely committed to their story. In a sense, the production returns us to our roots.”

The production is staged in daylight hours at the edge of a forest and in treehouses on the grounds of the Ross Creek Centre, situated on 186 acres overlooking the Bay of Fundy.

One of the most performed plays in the English language, Two Planks’ production is highly unusual in that it’s an outdoor presentation.

“While it’s impossible to know for certain, it may be the only interpretation of its kind,” says Schwartz. “The venue brings an entirely different feel to the work, which has been a revelation to me. Much of the play resonates so strongly because of where and how we’ve chosen to stage it. Marrying nature with the imagination can have unexpectedly moving results.”

Our Town opens July 3. Jerome The Historical Spectacle opens Aug. 2. For further information, visit www.twoplanks.ca or call the box office at 1-888-895-4545.

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