If you believe that “goodneighbors make strange bedfellows,” then you might want to borrow a cup ofsugar or share glass of wine with “The Realistic Joneses,” a world premiereplay by William Eno currently entertaining company at the Yale RepertoryTheatre until Saturday, May 12.
Bob and Jennifer Jones enjoysitting outside of an evening talking of inconsequentials, the lonely hootingof an owl, the quietness of basking under a canopy of stars. Living in the shadows of the mountainsis a peaceful and powerful balm as they try to avoid dealing with Bob’sdevastating illness.
Their snippets of chatter andconversation are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of John and Pony, whoare also Joneses and have moved in a few steps down the road. Like a Welcome Wagon in reverse, Johnand Pony have brought a bottle of wine to Bob and Jennifer’s picnic table tomake their acquaintance.
As these two couples waltzand cha-cha around each other, it quickly becomes clear that strange things arehappening in the suburbs. Nonsequiturs, unrelated babbles of talk, are planted in the garden like daffodilsand tulips, and are picked up and discarded without cause or reason. Everyone talks but nobody listens,everyone is afraid, but nobody cares. They each have an agenda but it is written in sand and easily erased. While there are a lot of serious topicsalluded to, they engender little meaningful response.
Tracy Letts and Johanna Dayas Bob and Jennifer interact with Glenn Fitzgerald and Parker Posey, as Johnand Pony, communing with nature but failing to communicate with eachother. Sam Gold directs thismeandering trek into suburbia where real issues like love, fidelity, marriage,career, illness and death are lurking behind the pine trees, ready to jump outand scare you silly.
For tickets ($20-88), callthe Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, corner of York, at 203-432-1234 oronline at www.yalerep.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at8 p.m., with matinees selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m.
Perch on the picnic bench andsqueeze yourself into the conversation as you sip a glass of Merlot anddiscover for yourself if the Joneses are realistic or not.
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