(Above, left to right: Denise LaCroix, Dave Shaw, and Ashley Ecker are among the cast of VLT’s production of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth; photo by Lifeslice Phototgraphy)

By Randi Bjornstad

Nearly everyone probably has heard the old saying, “by the skin of my teeth,” but not everyone knows its origin.

In fact, it’s a line from the Old Testament, in the story of Job, who undergoes unfathomable hardships but never loses his faith. At one point, in Job 19:20 as one translation puts it, he says, “I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.”

It’s an incredibly graphic concept, and one that definitely captures the imagination. In 1942, with a slight change, it became the title of a Thornton Wilder play, The Skin of Our Teeth, which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

In that incarnation, it’s actually a comedy — called by the New York Times “a party for the end of the world” — and it’s on stage at Eugene’s Very Little Theatre from Aug. 4 through 20.

In announcing the play, The VLT calls it an “absurd comedy taking audiences on an epic journey through time and the triumphs of the human spirit.”

Given the current state of the world, that’s not a bad idea. The play takes place in the 20th century, and it follows the lives of the Antrobus family — the Greek word translates to “human” or “person” — who live in the fictional town of Excelsior, N.J.

The absurdity comes in because each act in the play is fraught with some kind of global cataclysm. It’s an Ice Age in the first act, epic storms and a deluge evoking the Biblical story of Noah’s ark and the saving of the animals in the second act, and the aftermath of a global war in the third act.

And yet somehow, people emerge from it all with hope, determination, and their spirit of humanity intact.

Director Rebecca Lowe said she is “thrilled to bring this timeless and absurd classic to the stage,” describing it as a roller coaster of laughter and thought, “challenging the boundaries of conventional storytelling and inviting audiences to explore the chaotic beauty of life.”

The original Broadway play featured a star-studded cast, with Frederic March and Florence Eldridge as Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, Montgomery Clift as Henry, Frances Heflin as Gladys, and Tallulah Bankhead as Sabina. E.G. Marshall played Mr. Fitzpatrick.

In the VLT cast, Dave Smith and Denise LaCroix play Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, with Anthony C. Edwards (Henry), Ashley Ecker (Gladys), Leslie Murray (Sabina), and Scott Smith (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Additional members of the cast — many with multiple parts and in order of appearance — are Bill Campbell, Vanessa Norman, Sarah de Leon, David Landon, Larry Fried, Daniel Squire, Kelly Oristano, Denise Jackson, Eva James, and Mary Keating.

The VLT’s production of The Skin of Our Teeth features the art of hand-painted scenery with scenic design by Carol Dennis and painting by Jeff Johnston, Louie Nosce, and Tim Dunn. Johnston and Nosce are new to volunteering at the theater, which describes the work as “intricately crafted trees featuring different seasons of life, mesmerizing fire effects, and the conversion of the set to the aftermath of war.” Tim Dunn and Amy Dunn constructed the sets.

The show also boasts a long list of members of the production crew, including Lowe’s assistant director Dan Squire, technical director Tim Tendick, and stage manager Adrienne West, with dramaturgy by Stanley Coleman, choreography by Sarah DeLeon, and fight choreography by Anthony C. Edwards. Linda Jackson is rehearsal assistant.

The production crew also includes light board operator Brock Williamson, sound board operator Kaleb Edwards, lighting design by Mollie Skye, and sound design by Tim Rogers.

Mask creators are Rebecca Lowe, Ashley Ecker, Sarah Etherton, Denise Jackson, Linda Jackson, and Leslie Murray, with costumes by Paula Tendick and Gail Rapp, properties by Susie Hanley, and makeup and hair by Tere Tronson.

Greg Black provided projection design, withposter design by Dan Pegoda and program design by David Meile.

The Very Little Theatre staff includes executive director Ron Evans, box office manager Adrienne West, and front-of-house manager Judy Wenger.

The Skin of Our Teeth at The VLT

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4-5, 10-11, 17-18-19; with 2 p.m. matinees on Aug. 6, 13, and 20

Where: The Very Little Theatre, 2350 Hilyard St., Eugene

Tickets: $20-$26, available at 541-344-7751 or online at thevlt.com

Covid Protocol: For the health and safety of our audience, cast and crew, The Very Little Theatre encourages all attendees to be mindful of their fellow theatergoers while inside the venue. VLT may adapt measures as needed, based on changing conditions.