The Realistic Joneses by Will Eno

Last night, I went to see The Realistic Joneses at Lyceum Theatre written by Will Eno and directed by Sam Gold.  Cast included Toni Collette as Jennifer, Tracy Letts as Bob, Michael C. Hall as John and Marisa Tomei as Pony.  They had wonderful chemistry on stage.  I am a huge fan of Toni Collette and her timing with both Letts and Hall was spot on.  She brought a wonderful humanity as a wife dealing with her husband's illness.  Tomei played a bright, fresh character but I wish the part was less of a flakey ditz.

The story revolves around two couples dealing (or not dealing) with the challenges of illness and how they communicate their reality to other human beings about it.  The comedic factor was on the high side, the story arc itself was a bit on the low side. Partly because the interspersed scenes felt disjointed and at times the play felt as if there were scenes missing from the story. This play is an hour and 45 minutes long without an intermission and by the last scene I could feel/hear the restlessness of the audience.

Will Eno has an amazing talent for wit, humor and one-liners and on the dramatic side he captures the loneliness that we face when trying to deal with something that is beyond our control. His work inspires me.  The play itself may have had some issues but his craftsmanship is superb.  Thank you Mr. Eno for reminding me why I love the theater so much.  Now I'm off to my writing group and better still...the seeds of an idea are starting to sprout for my next play.  Sweet!!

Peace,

L~
 

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2014 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.