The Realistic Joneses
by Will Eno
Directed by Edward M. Coffield
Rebel and Misfits Productions
July 26, 2018
Alan Knoll, Isaiah DiLorenzo, Kelly Hummert, Laurie McConnell
Photo:
Rebel and Misfits Productions
Will Eno’s The Realistic Joneses is a fascinating play, in terms of characterization, language, and insight. It’s one of those plays I’m tempted to write essays about, rather than simply a review. Its use of language makes me want to buy, read, and re-read the script. Still, a play is about more than the script. It’s about the whole production–acting, staging, production values, etc., and the new production by Rebel and Misfits Productions is the real deal. It’s a challenging, thoughtful, impeccably cast production of this intriguing, insightful play.
The story is something of an unfolding mystery, and part of its brilliance is that almost as much is communicated by what is not said as by what is said. The “Joneses” of the title are two married couples who at first seem to share little in common besides their last name. Appearances can deceive, however, and not all is how it first appears. The story unfolds in a series of scenes, starting as Bob (Alan Knoll) and Jennifer Jones (Laurie McConnell) sit at a table in their backyard, awkwardly attempting to converse. They are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of their new neighbors, the younger couple John (Isaiah DiLorenzo) and Pony Jones (Kelly Hummert). This first meeting is soon followed by a series of more meetings of various combinations of the characters, as the new neighbors get to know more about each other, and the audience learns that there’s more to this story than originally presented. The relationships grow more and more complex, and life situations more serious as issues of life and death, love and meaning, are discussed and played out. The process of discovery is a big part of the story, so I won’t reveal too much, but I have to say that Eno’s script is so well crafted, and this production is so insightfully staged, that clues to what is really going on become apparent in subtle but powerful ways.
This is a show that relies a lot on subtext, and that’s handled extremely well in this production, and by the truly excellent cast. The language is also particularly idiosyncratic, with each character having a specific way of speaking. All four performers here carry off the text and the subtext with impressive clarity, with excellent ensemble chemistry and couple chemistry. There’s real credibility in the relationships between the bickering Bob and Jennifer–played by real-life married couple Knoll and McConnell–and between the quirkier Pony and John, played by Hummert and DiLorenzo with presence, humor, and poignancy. The characters are all relatable in different ways, and enigmatic in other ways–with Knoll and DiLorenzo particularly adept in portraying their characters’ particular types of evasion, McConnell’s wariness through her weariness, and Hummert’s clear communication of the outwardly flighty Pony’s inward depth and dawning realization of what is happening. It’s an ideal cast for this challenging, highly character-driven play.
The neighborhood setting is well-realized through Peter and Margery Spack’s detailed set. Sitting on either side of the performance space, the feeling is of being in these characters’ backyard. There’s also excellent sound design by Ellie Schwetye, and lighting by Jon Ontiveros that helps set the mood and sense of passage of time throughout the play.
The Realistic Joneses is one of those plays that makes me really think about language, to the point where it had me thinking about speech patterns in real life even after the play was over. It’s a highly character-focused play that presents characters that one might see every day, but also emphasizes communication, of emotions, of ideas, and of the changing realites of life. It’s a play I’d read about but had never actually seen, and now I’m glad this remarkable production has given me the opportunity to see it. There’s still some time to see it, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Laurie McConnell, Alan Knoll
Photo: Rebel and MIsfits Productions
Rebel and Misfits Productions is presenting The Realistic Joneses at the JCC New Jewish Theatre Black Box until August 12, 2018
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