The choir sings at the wedding in Act II of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Production by ACT (a community theatre)

Unlike studio-recorded music, or movies or visual art, theatre and live performances are ephemeral. There may be many hours of practice and work before the event, but once the performance is over, it cannot be recaptured. Sure you can take photos, as I’ve done here of a half-dressed rehearsal, or make a video or audio record, but it is not the same as the actual performance. Part of it has to do with the presence of a live audience and their response.

Mrs. Soames (the character) thinks it is the most beautiful wedding she has ever seen.

As Emily realizes in Act III of Our Town, it is the everyday activities of our everyday lives that are ephemeral. And we should be paying more attention to them.

Emily and George…