TRAGEDY: a tragedy

by Will Eno

The sun has set over the neighborhoods, government buildings and American backyards everywhere. A news team is on the way. Their report: someone left the lawn sprinklers on; someone's horse is on the loose; a seashell is lying in the grass; dogs run by. The Governor appeals for calm. Everyone doesn't know if the sun, once down, will ever rise again. But there is a witness, and the witness will speak.

Genres: Plays, Theatre

64 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, rounded down.

I thought I had read ALL of Eno's plays, but in perusing his GR page, this one seemed to have eluded me, so have no rectified that. As far as his entire oeuvre goes, this is one of the most accessible, but is also really one idea stretched to its ultimate limit (a newscast that keeps spiraling downwards into further and further absurdity), and even though probably would only take about an hour to perform, I think would be somewhat wearisome before it ended. Still some clever and very funny sections.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eno is a fantastic writer, able to hit multiple notes and rhythms that keep my head ringing through the simplest passages of his play. Trying to keep this spoiler free, Tragedy opens to a live local newscast following some kind of crisis. All the elements of a 21st century newscast are there: the urgency to make every kind of news item into high drama; the "I'm dancing as fast as I can" attempts by on-the-scene reporters to fill in excitement or even facts; and, the inane/insanely banal attempts from the writers and news reporters to create either 1) upset and urgency when a need for it has not been established, or 2) sickeningly sweet platitudes of hope and trust in vain attempts to calm the perceived anxiety of the masses when urgency and upset would be appropriate.

The actual details of the crisis in Tragedy are never really known to us - the crisis may be something beyond our comprehension or something ridiculously ordinary - and the newscasters seem genuinely unsure themselves, which takes the whole situation into heightened existential mode.

Apparently written right before 9/11, I would imagine the play made much less sense that it does to us now. It seem especially prescient as right now there are 24/7 broadcast of updates and opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- talking heads on every network speaking authoritatively, urgently, and with forced compassion/empathy. It all sounds good but it feels empty leaving me to conclude that none really understands this current crisis enough to fit into a new format.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting reading experience - I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. It was a bit confusing, and kind of lost me after about halfway through. I get the point that the author was trying to make, I just didn't really connected with the material because it was so disjointed. It might be one of those plays that you need to see performed to get the intended effect. Reading it just didn't do the trick for me.

[Bearhands · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although written before 9/11, this play captured a certain lethargy and fear that pervaded American culture and media after that tragedy. This play was dense, repetitious, unrelenting, and I often asked myself while reading “what’s the point being made here.” Not my favorite Eno piece.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun! kinda confused, but fun 🤩

[Melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. Mommy hated it. There was astroturf and a reference to heart worms. That’s all I remember about it.

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My current favorite play

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smart, heartfelt play about the breakdown of communication as a fracturing newsteam attempts to present the tragedy of nightfall. Compared with Eno's other work (in which I've been immersing myself in recent weeks), the attempts at understanding and empathy by the characters here is refreshing and engaging.