NEW YORK CITY—A running throughline in several of playwright’s Thornton Wilder’s works (“Our Town,” “The Long Christmas Dinner,” “The Skin of Our Teeth”) is an almost mystical connection to the universe and an endless cycle that shows how we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. That’s constant, even if those involved never fully realize that truism.
This idea is also brought to the fore in “The Emporium,” an unfinished work Wilder labored on for many years. Rediscovered, completed, and adapted by playwright Kirk Lynn with permission of the Wilder Estate, the result, now at Classic Stage Company is something of a mixed bag. Yet despite certain missteps, there is no denying the story’s possibilities.
