are many compelling reasons the title figure in the monologue play Thom Pain (based on nothing)
seems like a Will Eno self-portrait. Eno and Pain are both dryly funny
fellows, with a skewed view that's at once cosmic and mundane. When they
speak, both comment on their own language -- undercutting, annotating,
contradicting.
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The concept of this play is fascinating, and to me it doesn’t sound as confrontational or conflicting as the title of the article suggests. At the heart of it, I think this play is an exploration in human communication and the construct of language. Many lines that were quoted from the play were golden little snippets of insight into the kind of play and playwright we’re dealing with; “I’m trying. A trying man. A feeling thing, in a wordy body” was my favorite that was mentioned. Will Eno’s self-portrait is surprisingly expositional, yet avoids being painfully vulnerable due to the relatability of the complex emotions that Thom Pain discusses. What surprised me further, given what I know about the style and content of the play, is how successful and widely received it has been in its young life. It gives me hope that I might see it myself one day.
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