''The Realistic Joneses'' is a play by

Will Eno Will Eno (born 1965) is an American playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. His play, '' Thom Pain (based on nothing)'' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2005. His play ''The Realistic Joneses'' appeared on Broadway in 2014, wher ...

. It opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 2014 after premiering in 2012 at the Yale Repertory Theater.

Production history

''The Realistic Joneses'' premiered at the

Yale Repertory Theater Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented stud ...

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

in April – May 2012, and starred

Johanna Day Johanna Day (born 1964) is an American actress. She was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in the 2000 play ''Proof'' and the 2016 production of the play ''Sweat''. Her other accolades include a Helen Hayes Award and an Obie Awa ...

, Glenn Fitzgerald,

Tracy Letts Tracy S. Letts (born July 4, 1965) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He started his career at the Steppenwolf Theatre before making his Broadway debut as a playwright for '' August: Osage County'' (2007), for which he received ...

, and

Parker Posey Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress and musician. Posey is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination and two Independent Spirit Award nominations. Posey made her film debu ...

, with direction by

Sam Gold Sam Gold is an American theater director and actor. He has directed both musicals and plays, on Broadway and Off-Broadway. He won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for ''Fun Home''. Early life Gold was raised in Westchester and ...

. The play was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theater. The play began previews on

at the Lyceum Theatre on March 13, 2014 and officially opened on April 6, 2014. The play starred Tracy Letts as Bob Jones,

Toni Collette Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, inclu ...

as his wife, Jennifer, Michael C. Hall as John Jones and

Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She came to prominence as a cast member on '' The Cosby Show'' spin-off '' A Different World'' in 1987. After having minor roles in a few films, she came to international attentio ...

as his wife, Pony. The play was directed by Sam Gold, with Scenic Design by David Zinn, costumes by Kaye Voyce and lighting by Mark Barton. The play closed on July 6, 2014 after 105 performances. The play ran at the Geary Theater, San Francisco, California, in an A.C.T. production, in March and April 2016.

Overview

Bob Jones and his wife Jennifer meet their new next-door neighbors, John and Pony Jones. They discuss their lives, giving an "inside look at the people who live next door, the truths we think we know and the secrets we never imagined we all might share." Eno said that he wrote ''The Realistic Joneses'' because he " 'wanted to really just write a naturalistic and realistic play.' Not that 'Realistic Joneses' is precisely realistic. Both plays Open House'read like sitcoms broadcast from a weirder, more melancholy world."

Critical reception

The reviewer of the Yale Repertory production wrote: "The wizardry of Eno's craft, directed with just the right tone by Sam Gold (with deft help by Mark Barton's striking light design), is that, as surrealistic as this world may seem, and as awkwardly funny as the action is, theatergoers most certainly identify with these characters' loneliness." The ''USA Today'' reviewer (of the Broadway production) wrote: "Mortality itself is a key concern, and not just in relation to illness.... Joneses isn't a downer, though, and director Sam Gold and his excellent cast ensure that its humor and poignance are equally served. Predictably, there's no neat resolution; the play ends with all four of its characters in a relatively upbeat mood, yet not any surer how things will turn out."

Charles Isherwood Charles Isherwood (born 1964/65) is an American theater critic. Education Isherwood is a graduate of Stanford University. Career Isherwood wrote for '' Backstage West'' in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of ''Variety'', where he was pr ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote: "But don’t come to the play expecting tidy resolutions, clearly drawn narrative arcs or familiarly typed characters. 'The Realistic Joneses' progresses in a series of short scenes that have the shape and rhythms of sketches on 'Saturday Night Live' rather than those of a traditional play.... But for all Mr. Eno’s quirks, his words cut to the heart of how we muddle through the worst life can bring."

Awards and nominations

''The Realistic Joneses'' was nominated for three 2014

Drama League Awards The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

, for Outstanding Production Of A Broadway Or Off-Broadway Play, and Distinguished Performance Award (Michael C. Hall and Tracy Letts). In addition, the production was recognized twice for the 2014 Drama Desk Special Awards. The special awards are voted by the Drama Desk "to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theatre." Will Eno along with the cast of ''The Realistic Joneses'' were recognized.Gans, Andrew
"2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide'Earns 12 Nominations"
Playbill, April 25, 2014

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Realistic Joneses, The 2012 plays Broadway plays