BWW Interviews: David Jenkins' Play MIDDLEMEN Opens at NJ Rep

New Jersey Repertory Company continues their season with the production of middlemen, by David Jenkins. The play will run from November 7th to December 8th. Jenkins, a New York based playwright, has had his plays shortlisted for the O'Neil and was a finalist for Page 73's 2013 Fellowship. middlemen was produced in New York to critical acclaim; it premiered internationally in Santiago, Chile in the spring of 2011 and will also be produced at the Oslo International Theater in Norway in 2014. His plays include: middlemen, Small Claims, Post Office, Laissez-Faire and the forthcoming Pinewood.

Jenkins is proud to have his play produced at NJ Rep. He said, "NJ Rep is an, ambitious company. I'm thrilled they're producing middlemen; I think it fits in well with their mission of presenting new and challenging American plays. I'm excited that Marc Geller is directing the piece, I think it's a great fit for his dry, zany sensibility."

Jenkins wrote middlemen just before the financial crisis exploded in 2007. One of the first readings was on the day Lehman Brothers folded. While he can't remember a single inspiration for the play, Jenkins stated," It just felt like something was in the air. The country was still sweeping up the legal pieces from Enron, we were knee deep in two poorly prosecuted wars, and lots of people were underwater in their houses. These problems loomed so large at that time that they felt almost personally overwhelming. I was trying to find a way to talk about the ethical shift I felt the country was experiencing that wasn't just shrill, partisan or bombastic. I ended up with this very contained comedy of pressure and discomfort. It turned out to be a good metaphor for the collapse of our economy."

Yet, Jenkins grew up in a family where there was an acute understanding of the business world. He said,

"I'm the son of an Eagle Scout who has run the gauntlet of Corporate America. In some ways I think this play is an attempt to understand the ups and downs my father went through in what turned out to be a pretty interesting career. I have also worked a shocking number of survival jobs, and I think I've captured some of the existential dread of toiling in less than fulfilling circumstances to put food on the table."

Jenkins once thought the life of middlemen was tied to the economic collapse of the country but is pleased to see it being produced in the United States and abroad. He said that something about the existential dread of working for a large corporation is universal. Over the years, it has been translated into Norwegian, Belarusian and Spanish. He loves that the people from the Eastern Block really like the play.

Jenkins believes that New Jersey Repertory Theatre audiences will enjoy the show. He said, "I hope they have a few laughs and recognize themselves in these characters. All that work of art can hope to do is make us feel less alone, and I hope this play accomplishes that. Much of my writing, and this play is no exception, deals with the meaning of work in American life, and I hope audiences will be able to relate their own experiences of the workplace to the two characters in the play, Stan and Michael.

New Jersey Repertory Company is located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch. For tickets to middlemen, and their other upcoming shows, contact the NJ Rep Box Office at 732-229-3166 or visit www.njrep.org to reserve your seats online.

Photo: Courtesy of David Jenkins

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