Director's Notes: Chris Price on "Middletown"
Those of you who were lucky - as I was - to attend the opening of ‘Middletown’ by Will Eno at The Theater Project last Friday will understand if I wantonly hurl superlatives about in an attempt to describe this production. Suffice to say it is a must see.
Many of us left the theater that night quietly sharing wonderment, awe and even confusion about what we just saw. I was not familiar with Will Eno’s work, but am a huge fan of Samuel Beckett’s, who he as been compared to, along with Thornton Wilder’s classic ‘Our Town.’
The play is beautifully cast and directed. I confess to a certain amount of ‘actor envy’ watching the cast wrestle with a unique kind of dialogue, and making interesting acting choices allowing the play to soar. As an audience member I can easily say I was transfixed. I will see it again.
If this doesn’t entice you, hopefully Chris’s notes will. Come see this spellbinding work.
We’ll see you there.
Bronwen Crothers
Mistress of the Blog
Photo by Molly Haley Photography
We got Middletown up and running last Friday and had a very good opening weekend. As is true with most shows, the final week of rehearsals was arduous for both actors, designers and technicians but resulted in a good strong production that successfully conveys the collective vision of all involved.
When I first read the play, John Lennon’s supposed quote, ”Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” came to mind. Will Eno writes with a kind of absurdist, abstract, and slightly surreal style that, for me, beautifully captures those average moments that make up everyday life. He eschews the more typical style of developing plot and character evolution and, instead, focuses on what are, often, rather brief meetings and conversations; glancing interactions in which characters display great vulnerability in their deliberations on what life feels like on earth. They talk about things; feelings and emotions that we immediately recognize but rarely express. It’s, at once, simple and profound and I’m reminded of Thorton Wilder and Samuel Beckett; a unique and wonderful amalgamation. Humankind in all its imperfect beauty is right there in front of us to do with what we will.
My hope is that our audiences will be drawn into the world of Middletown’s citizens; that they’ll feel what these characters feel and, judging from the powerful and positive reactions to the opening weekend performances, I think we’re on a good track and hoping for full houses for the next two weeks.
- Chris Price, Director of “Middletown”
All photos by Molly Haley Photography
