Last Saturday there was a free public reading of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. The “performance” was followed by some questions from the audience. The most striking insights didn’t come from the adults in the black box theatre — they came from a 10-year-old boy.
He’d been paying close attention, and when the third act closed he noted how emotional it was — and how the play taught him that “everyone has a play in them.” In other words, everyone’s life, no matter how ordinary it may seem, holds moments and meanings that are profound.
That is the central lesson of Our Town: that the seemingly mundane — sharing breakfast, small talk on the porch or street, walking to school — contains a richness we only notice once it’s gone. And it’s striking that a young person, not yet burdened by the rush and toil of adulthood, recognized it so clearly.
This is an example of a fertile young mind, to be sure. But it’s also a testament to the power of the arts in our community. They don’t just entertain; they awaken, challenge, and remind us of what matters. They give children language to help describe what they see and feel — and the courage to share it. Without spaces like the Sautee Nacoochee Center, the Helen Arts and Heritage Center, and other cultural outlets in our area, those opportunities might be lost.
The same weekend as the Our Town reading, the Center also hosted its monthly contra dance. Different forms of expression — one theatrical, one musical, both communal, bringing neighbors into the same room, young and old, familiar faces and newcomers, each taking part in something larger than themselves.
That’s why supporting the arts — visual, performing, or otherwise — is a community necessity. They expose, express, and enrich the soul of a place, nurturing new generations, reminding us of our shared humanity. Let’s make sure the arts continue to thrive here!