Steppenwolf's 'Middletown' chronicles everyday life
“Middletown” makes no profound statements. Will Eno's gentle, quirky play — which echoes Thornton Wilder's “Our Town” in its quiet chronicling of small-town life in all its mundane glory — unlocks no mysteries.
Rather this very humane play confirms what we know about the life-death continuum, the thin line that separates joy and sorrow and the fundamental need to connect with another human being.
And yet there's something alluring about Eno's sympathetic (but not overly sentimental) look at the human condition — along with the anxiety, affection and perseverance that animate it — and the loneliness which Eno's characters never seem to shake.
Much of it has to do with the playwright's wry humor and lyrical dialogue beautifully expressed in Steppenwolf Theatre's delicately acted, delicately directed production from Les Waters, who fully understands the power of silence.
“Middletown” comprises vignettes involving the middle-class residents of this middle-America burg, identified throughout most of the play by their professions. But the action centers on the relationship between newcomer Mary (a wonderfully poetic Brenda Barrie, always smiling yet seemingly on the verge of a sob) and lifelong resident John, a melancholy handyman tenderly played by Tracy Letts, whose performance suggests a man more desperate than even he realizes.
There's a darkness at the edge of “Middletown” that has more to do with melancholy than real menace, although Enos' play has a bit of that, too. It comes in the form of Danny McCarthy's cop. Initially, the officer comes across as a 21st century version of Andy Taylor. But his overreaction to the substance abusing mechanic (the terrific Michael Patrick Thornton, whose painful honesty makes for some moving moments) suggests he also channels “The Shield's” Vic Mackey.
The cast also includes Martha Lavey as the librarian and Alana Arenas, a tour guide who realizes regretfully that her hometown is not the world. Ora Jones plays a coolly professional doctor, and Keith Kupferer is a landscaper with a keen sense of linguistics. Rounding out the fine ensemble are Tim Hopper and Molly Glynn, who play tourists searching for something extraordinary in an ordinary town. Hopper — who begins the play with a whimsical, all-inclusive welcome address to the audience — deserves kudos for his deft delivery of Eno's dialogue.
But the acting doesn't entirely compensate for a play that is a bit uneven. Case in point: the needless meta-theatrical interlude that concludes the first act. It takes place during an ersatz intermission where actors playing audience members ponder the meaning of the play they're watching — which is the play we're watching. More self-indulgent than clever, it's a distraction from an otherwise poignant, oddly comforting drama.
That said, “Middletown” has some very resonant scenes that cut right to the heart of our fundamental need to connect to another human being. One occurs during a first act conversation between John and Mary while John repairs her sink. John's responses are muffled (he's under the sink for much of the scene) yet the two comprehend each other perfectly, suggesting an understanding that doesn't require words, an intriguing choice from a playwright so clearly invested in the richness of language.
The whimsy of the first act gives way to a more dramatic second act where Eno raises the stakes to reveal how fickle fate can be, how one rash act can have terrible consequences and how lucky we are to simply be.
<b>“Middletown”</b>
<b>Location:</b> Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org
<b>Showtimes:</b> 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 14; also 2 p.m. July 27, Aug. 3 and 10; no Sunday evening performances after July 24
<b>Running time:</b> About two hours, 15 minutes with intermission
<b>Parking:</b> $10 in the adjacent garage
<b>Tickets:</b> $20-$73
<b>Rating:</b> For older teens and adults; contains adult language, subject matter