Besides these functions, the Stage Manager serves as an actor. He steps into scenes and interacts with other players. By departing from his job as master of ceremonies and matter-of-factly assuming the role of Mr. Morgan, Mrs. Forrest, or the minister, he retains his humanity. Because Wilder avoids elevating the Stage Manager above the other characters, he makes him a believable outgrowth of town life, on a par with any other citizen of Grover's Corners.
Finally, the Stage Manager speaks the playwright's thoughts and projects his themes directly. When a question arises, the Stage Manager is there to answer it. When Emily has a problem, the Stage Manager is able to solve it for her and for the audience as well. Whatever wisdom Wilder wants to express beyond the dialogue of the play, he puts into the mouth of the Stage Manager. Through this invention of the Stage Manager, the viewer discovers the value of the humblest of everyday transactions. The Stage Manager demonstrates that "an absolute reality can only be inner, very inner " Thus, he functions as the most important actor, as well as a structural element of the play, and also as a facilitator of each theme.
