TCU Theatre is starting its spring season with “The Skin of Our Teeth,” a 20th-century classic that’s over 80 years old.
The play was written during World War II by Thornton Wilder to challenge the despair that gripped society during that conflict. Students involved in this production said its themes resonate today because the world still faces a variety of existential threats.
“This play has been revived time and time again for a very obvious reason,” Tyler Dorney, a senior acting major, said. “The human race is always in crisis. Always. At all times. It’s never-ending.”
The play bears significant relevance to contemporary tribulations, making the show highly relevant to a modern audience.
“In the world we live in today, humanity is experiencing war, exploitation, genocide, famine, corruption,” Austin Harper, a senior acting major, said. “We are still making our way out of COVID-19. Within our own borders, we are facing political divide, systemic oppression, inflation, wealth inequality and homelessness.”
The show does not focus solely on times of crisis but on the perseverance of the human race.
“We really do come through adversity by the skin of our teeth,” Savannah DeCrow, a senior musical theatre major, said. “Every time without fail, humanity is always able to pick themselves up and carry on.”
Beyond society as a whole, “The Skin of Our Teeth” bears a particular relevance for college students.
“For many of us, this is a transitional period of our lives where we are finding ourselves and learning what and who we want to be,” Aaron Johnson, senior acting major, said. “A part of that process is combating failure and continuing to go on, whether that be handling a class, a major change, a sport or graduating.”
For TCU Theatre seniors specifically, the play echoes an important message.
“This play has been very good for me as I prepare to graduate and begin living and finding my life,” Johnson said. “There will be ups and downs, but I’ll survive.”
“The Skin of Our Teeth” marks a bittersweet moment for many TCU Theatre seniors, as it is their last mainstage production at TCU.
“I have been so grateful to have this experience alongside some of my best friends,” DeCrow said. “I could have not asked for a better way to spend my last show at TCU.”
While the college chapter may be closing for these seniors, their stories are only just beginning. As Wilder wrote in the show, the “end of this play isn’t written yet.”
“The Skin of Our Teeth” opens Feb. 27 and runs until March 3. Audience members can purchase tickets online. TCU students and faculty members can receive a ticket at a discounted price.
