A conversation with the exceptionally talented playwright Will Eno - a deep dive into his writing style, things that inspire him, and the process of establishing a connection between the words on the page and your identity and soul. Here are some highlights from the interview:
2:45 - Letting down your guard and not hiding yourself as a writer
8:18 - Samuel Beckett's influence on his writing and differences in their form and content
20:28 - Being drawn to the idea of one person plays, how the audience becomes a character, and the mystery and unpredictability of group consciousness
26:00 - The journey through the world of Thom Pain, working with Michael C. Hall and Oliver Butler
29:30 - Rainn Wilson in the role of Thom Pain and how they met
34:30 - How he came up with the opening Prologue of Middletown
38:50 - Finding beauty in the mundane and ordinary and where the appreciation for it comes from
45:03 - The element of outer space and the universe in his writing
50:45 - His writing process
53:00 - His daughter Albertine's drawing!
1:00 - Things that bring him joy.
Will Eno is an award-winning playwright and a Pulitzer-finalist described by The New York Times as "a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation."
Will's critically acclaimed 'The Realistic Joneses' appeared on Broadway in 2014. A winner of the Drama Desk Awards, the play featured Michael C Hall and Toni Collette, was named USA TODAYâs âBest Play on Broadway,â topped The Guardianâs 2014 list of American plays, and was included in The New York Timesâ âBest Theatre of 2014.â
His play 'Thom Pain (Based on Nothing)' ran at Los Angelesâ Geffen Playhouse in 2016 and starred Rainn Wilson, with the production serving as the basis for a film adaptation directed by Oliver Butler and Will Eno, which is available to stream on BroadwayHD. The play was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Some of his other plays include 'Title And Deed', and 'Gnit', an adaptation of Peer Gynt that premiered at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2013. 'Middletown', the winner of the Horton Foote Award, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre and was staged subsequently at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, among other US theaters and universities. Will Eno was also awarded the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation Award. His plays are published by Samuel French, TCG, Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Oberon Books. www.willeno.com
Unapologetically Original is a weekly interview series that highlights inspiring individuals from the Theatre, Film, and TV world who have been agents of change in their own lives and in the lives of others. Tune in live on Instagram @priyankashettyactor every Thursday at 11 AM EST to get to know these amazing individuals and their incredible contributions as artists and leaders.