An Evening of Existential Quandary: “The Realistic Joneses” by Will Eno
“The Realistic Joneses,” a play by Will Eno, is currently running at the Smock Alley Theatre as part of this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival and is produced by Gare St Lazare Ireland in association with Rubicon Theatre Company and Laguna Playhouse.
The play appeared on Broadway in 2014 where it won a Drama Desk Award and was named USA Today’s “best play on Broadway.” Gare St Lazare Ireland is no stranger to Eno’s work, as they collaborated previously on “Title and Deed” which was awarded The Stage Award for Acting Excellence at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“The Realistic Joneses,” introduces us to two couples, both called Jones, who at first appear to have little in common apart from their shared name and the proximity of their homes. The ordinary, small town setting acts as the backdrop for the exploration of big existential questions. The surface level everyday-ness of the play allows for the contemplation of, and coming to terms with ideas of mortality and intimacy, specifically how these are played out in our closest relationships.
The performance uses black humour and witty dialogue to scrutinise the more serious topics of illness, ageing and the inevitability of death. The use of realistic half formed sentences and the illogical verbal dance between two married couples provides an authentic tone to the play. This authenticity is juxtaposed against the ridiculousness of language and the arbitrary meaning we apply to words which creates a tension between what we understand of language and speech on a superficial level, and the subtext hidden in seemingly straightforward conversations.
The whole play centres around the failure of understanding. Foremost, the character’s failure to express what they really want to say or feel; there are many moments when a direct request for clarification is passed over as we realise the characters themselves don’t understand what they are trying to express. This failure of communication is mirrored in the Joneses’ (and our) failure to fully comprehend the fragility of life and the inevitability of non-existence or death. Each of the characters deal with – or don’t deal with – this fearful thought in a variety of ways, and the conclusion the audience can take from this is that there is no wrong way to deal with these concepts as each coping mechanism is part of the human experience and is what adds texture to the fabric of our daily existence.
The play culminates in a striking line, spoken in a moment of clarity; “I don’t think anything good is going to happen to us. But what can you do.” The audience’s parting impression is a reminder of the futility and randomness of the human experience, and our instinct to apply logic and narrative structure to otherwise illogical life events. “The Realistic Joneses,” at first glance, seems to be a play about two married couples, but when the house lights come up the audience is left pondering life’s bigger questions and how humans behave when confronted with them.
“The Realistic Joneses” is at the Smock Alley Theatre until 16th October 2022 as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. You can book your tickets here: https://dublintheatrefestival.ie/programme/event/the-realistic-joneses
For ages 16+
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Funded by The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon , The Ireland Funds and Culture Ireland.
View the Dublin Theatre Festival 2022 Programme now.
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