Welcome to Middletown

We sat down with Bryce Benson, director of the Thalian Blackfriars' upcoming production of Middletown, to get a behind the scenes look into the show and the process that went into putting it all together.

What made you want to direct Middletown?

It’s funny to think less than three months ago, I had never heard of Middletown. I find myself falling in love with this play more and more every time I experience it. For me, it’s the language. It is a meditation on life with deep humanity at the core. Will Eno has a masterful grasp on what it feels like to be human. After reading it the first time, I was shocked at how an audience’s mood could change from blissful happiness to questioning their existence through the course of a single monologue.

What has the rehearsal process been like so far?

Fast. Rehearsals for this show have flown by. The process has been so very rewarding. The text of this play has challenged me (as I hope it will the audience) to think in different ways. It has been so thrilling to work with a group of artists who are just as eager to present this script as I am. Each rehearsal, we all seem to find a new favorite line or exchange between characters. It’s like watching life happen, and focusing on different little nuances every time.

What were your favorite parts of working on the show?

For me, personally, it’s been the collaboration. The shared viewpoints of the actors and designers have allowed us to relate to the story on a very personal level. Whether the characters are talking about death or soaring through space, they still are saying what we all think in our head. It’s shocking to hear these secretive questions about life in such a blunt way. But it really encourages us to go out an ask questions.

What was the most challenging?

As a director, I think you have to understand when to release control. There’s this duality of doing what you think is your directorial duty and allowing the script to breathe. Kind of similar to Beckett, I think Will Eno provides everything you need. The literature is the driving force of this play. It isn’t a show that will have you talking about the plot. Instead, hopefully it’ll provide the questions and show that life is the only answer. As an artist, we just have to contrive a way of presenting it so that it will take hold in the audience. Less is more in the world of Middletown.

If you had to describe this show in one word, what would it be?

Patient.

What do you mean by that?

You know, that word kind of suprised me, it seemed to out of nowhere and pop into my head. It reflects the flow of the show, and the character's outlook on life; waiting patientily for something to come around.

Middletown, written by Will Eno, goes up November 9th and 10th Cellar Theatre of the Fine Arts Building at 7pm. Tickets are $5 at the door.