Middletown

The Huntington Theater Department's production of the Will Eno play Middletown was absolutely stunning. I had no expectations going into it, as I had never even heard of this show before, and was definitely in for a wild ride. The show centers on three main people: Craig, Mary, and John. Craig is a nervous mechanic who turns to alcohol and pills to calm his nerves. Mary is a housewife, struggling with relocation to a new home and an absent husband. John in an anxious, lonely man who is desperately grasping for some sort of meaning. These people all try to get a handle on what it means to be alone and scared in an abusive population no one holds back and everyone speaks their mind, to the point of being terrorized. 

Watching this play was incredibly difficult. Not only were there parts of the play that were strange and kind of awkward to watch, but there were also parts that tackle big questions: What's the point? What does all of this mean? Does my existence have any kind of meaning? These questions are very significant to all of us, especially to those who desire to make art. Artists and creators often doubt themselves, and wonder if their art has any kind of meaning, or even the right kind of meaning. If it has meaning to you, then you should do it. But if it has meaning to someone else, then you have to do it.