If you crossed Thornton Wilder's 1938 drama, Our Town, with a Christopher Durang comedy, the result would be Middletown, Will Eno's new play that is currently on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. If you're looking for something quirky and unusual to see, this is it, folks. Everyone in Middletown - both the play and the small town that Eno introduces us to - is somewhere in the "middle" between birth and death. I enjoyed spending time with these people, especially Mary Swanson, a young newcomer who is anxious to start a family with her absent husband; John Dodge, Mary's eccentric neighbor; Craig, a wheelchair-bound mechanic; and the sweet town librarian who seems to be a friend to all. The most famous resident of Middletown - an astronaut - even briefly shows up in outer space to offer us his inner feelings. And then right before the intermission, we are introduced to five new characters, who represent "the audience" - and they have just finished watching Act One of Middletown, which they then proceed to discuss in what I consider one of the best scenes of the play. Then as their Act Two is about to begin, our Act One comes to an end. I was hoping that this amusing "play within a play" concept would continue in our Act Two, but instead Eno switches most of the action to a hospital, where the story eventually loses much of its quirky humor and becomes a rather depressing tale. I didn't like where Eno took his characters in the second act - and I was disappointed when the play's "audience" never returned to offer us their final critiques. I would've been curious to hear what they had to say.
Fortunately, Middletown has a talented ensemble of actors who make their characters vividly come to life even when the play falters. Brenda Barrie, Michael Patrick Thornton and the always amazing Tracy Letts are perfectly cast as Mary, Craig and John, while Steppenwolf's Artistic Director Martha Lavey is so wonderful as the librarian that I wanted to see more of her. I also really liked Tim Hopper, who is the exquisite epitome of quirkiness in a few smaller roles, and Ora Jones, who is delightful as both a chatty audience member and a helpful doctor.
Middletown isn't an easy play to describe or review. There is a lot going on in it - and a few times I wasn't quite sure what was going on. But at intermission, I didn't mind being stuck in the middle of Eno's town with his engaging characters. I only wish that he had taken them all in a different direction in Act Two.
Middletown runs through August 14 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N. Halsted). For tickets and further information, call the box office at 312-335-1650 or go to www.steppenwolf.org.
 |
| Photos by Michael Brosilow |
0 comments:
Post a Comment