Friday, BoarsHead Professional Theater, 425 S. Grand Ave. opened its season with Thornton Wilder's American classic "Our Town."

This season, the theater company has chosen an "Our Town" theme, and will honor different segments of the Lansing community, said Carey Moreland, spokeswoman for the theater.

Different performance nights have been dedicated to members of the Lansing community. Each night, employees, members and supporters of the participating organization may purchase tickets at a discounted price of $15.

Tonight at 7 p.m., the theater will honor Lansing heroes in conjunction with its "Our Town" celebration.

"These people and these organizations make our community," Moreland said of the police, firefighters and 911 operators the evening will be honoring. "A community's history is an important part of how it is today."

Support from community members, she added, is more than appreciated.

"The Lansing area has a wonderful community," Moreland said. "Without the support we receive from the Lansing community, we wouldn't be able to be here as long as we have or put out quality productions."

In addition to the "Our Town" celebration, Moreland said that historical artifacts from the Lansing area will be on display during the entire run of the show.

"We have a very large cut-out of the First Baptist Church (227 N. Capitol Ave. in Lansing) as it appeared in 1894," she said. "It's fun to look at how the Lansing community has changed and how it has stayed the same through the years."

Twenty-one photographs will be showcased, featuring images of Lansing as it was around the turn of the century, she said.

Actress Kendrah McKay said the show sits well with the chosen theme.

"We are celebrating the title of the show," McKay said. "This is our way of saying thank you and showing our appreciation to the community. We want them to come together and enjoy the production and know they are appreciated."

Everyone should be able to connect and relate to the play's universal themes, she added.

"It has helped me gain perspective in the way I look at things," she said. "Things are different and technology has changed, but human relationships have the same universal theme."

McKay, who said she started as an intern with BoarsHead, hopes the audience will leave remembering not to take things for granted.

"I hope they have a wonderful evening and leave realizing life is precious and not to let a moment slip by," she said.

Artistic Director John Peakes said that he hopes the audience will have a better understanding and appreciation for the simple things in life after seeing "Our Town".

"It's a wonderful play," he said. "It makes you aware of things that you are not aware of at times and appreciate them."

"Our Town" will be running until October 25. For ticket information, call (517) 484-7805.