Thornton Wilder’s classic play Our Town will be performed at Krannert Performing Arts Center from April 12 – April 22 (view a schedule of performances here). Wilder, three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, wrote this and other works that have become classics of American literature.
Wilder is perhaps best known for his ambitious dramas – the most prominent are Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our Teeth (1942), both of which won the Pulitzer Prize – but he is also known for his novels, which included The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Ides of March, and The Eighth Day. Wilder also co-wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt.
The UIUC Libraries hold many books by and about Wilder, and here are some more resources on Thornton Wilder and his work:
- The Official Thornton Wilder Family Website features information on his works, a news page, a biography and chronology, and other information of interest.
- The Thornton Wilder Society’s homepage, including a bibliography of criticism, a newsletter, and a study guide for Our Town.
- Chadwyck-Healey’s Twentieth-Century Drama collection includes full-text for a number of Wilder’s plays, including Our Town.
- The Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online has four extensive entries dealing with Wilder and his work (search for Wilder’s name and select “Named Author” in the drop-down menu next to the search box).
- The Paris Review‘s 1956 interview with Wilder
