A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Middletown

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  6w, 6m

A deeply moving and funny play that explores the universe of a small American town.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 6m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2010 Horton Foote Award, Most Promising New Play

Details

Summary
Middletown is a deeply moving and funny play exploring the universe of a small American town. As a friendship develops between longtime resident John Dodge and new arrival Mary Swanson, the lives of the inhabitants of Middletown intersect in strange and poignant ways in a journey that takes them from the local library to outer space and points between.
History

Middletown premiered in New York City at The Vineyard Theatre in 2010, under the direction of Ken Russ Schmoll. 

MRS. SWANSON
FEMALE TOURIST / WOMAN ON DATE / ATTENDANT 2
AUNT / FEMALE DOCTOR / INTERCOM
LIBRARIAN
PUBLIC SPEAKER / GREG / MALE DOCTOR
MALE TOURIST / FREELANCER / RADIO HOST
TOUR GUIDE / ATTENDANT / MUSIC HOST
MECHANIC
COP
JOHN DODGE
SWEETHEART
LANDSCAPER / GROUND CONTROL / MAN ON DATE / JANITOR
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting Middletown. Somewhere in the middle. 
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

"Delicate, moving, piercing, tart, funny, gorgeous. Mr. Eno’s gift may be unmatched among writers of his generation. Glimmers from start to finish." - The New York Times, Read More

"Richly engaging and satisfyingly theatrical, with heart and humor. A modern-day equivalent to Thornton Wilder’s Our Town." - TheaterMania, Read More

"Utterly spellbinding! Four stars! Will Eno’s dark comic genius inspires all." - Time Out New York, Read More

"Middletown is a lusciously written, strangely poignant, dizzyingly modern spin on life." - Newsday, Read More

"A play by Will Eno is a testament to the power of words and wordplay. The worlds he creates are shaped by the cadence, timing and positioning of words to tell stories about the everyday. In his absurdist, abstract drama Middletown [...] Eno offers up an old-fashioned version of smalltown life that is familiar but with a tilt to the surreal." - Chicago Sun-Times

ON BREAKING CHARACTER 

Our Picks for The 2019/20 Season: K-12 Edition
Felicia Lucas
April 23, 2019

Openhearted Deadpan: Director George Toles on Will Eno’s MIDDLETOWN 
by Mariianne Mays Wiebe
January 29, 2016

Moving Through Time and Space: An Examination of MIDDLETOWN 
by Cassandra Price
December 10, 2015

MIDDLETOWN: A Play About A Town, The World, & Life
by Ryan Pointer
May 1, 2015

Videos

  • Will Eno on Middletown youtube thumbnail

    Will Eno on Middletown

  • In the Middle of MIDDLETOWN youtube thumbnail

    In the Middle of MIDDLETOWN

  • MIDDLETOWN Opening Night - Vineyard Theatre youtube thumbnail

    MIDDLETOWN Opening Night - Vineyard Theatre

  • MIDDLETOWN Trailer - Steppenwolf youtube thumbnail

    MIDDLETOWN Trailer - Steppenwolf

  • ACT Theatre: MIDDLETOWN youtube thumbnail

    ACT Theatre: MIDDLETOWN

Show more +

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Will Eno

Playwright Will Eno recently completed the Residency Five Fellowship at the Signature Theatre, which premiered his play Title and Deed in 2012,  The Open House in 2014, and Wakey, Wakey in 2017. Will’s play The Underlying Chris premiered at 2nd Stage Theatre in October 2019, ...

View full profile

Now Playing