Have an hour with nothing to do? Spend it at the theatre! Or, spend it in the living room in front of the TV or laptop, and stream a show from the theatre. Amazon Prime Video and Broadway HD is currently offering up a show that has been hailed by critics as deeply profound, confusing to many audiences, and performed by more than one familiar face from the world of TV and film. Thom Pain (based on nothing), written by Will Eno, is a one man production that is packed with comedy, lased with pain and anguish, and loaded with awkwardness.
In 2017, it was none other than three time Emmy award nominee Rainn Wilson, who took the stage as Thom Pain at the Geffen Playhouse
In 2017, it was none other than three time Emmy award nominee Rainn Wilson, who took the stage as Thom Pain at the Geffen Playhouse. Wilson was one of the fan favorites of The Office and even on that show, he was as awkward as they come. Standing alone onstage with no set, Wilson performs in a format that is almost conversational, and also presentational. From there, he begins to engage with the audience in effort to find understanding in everything he begins to talk about, hoping that the audience will in turn find that same understanding. He interacts with the audience, makes them laugh, tells stories, cracks jokes, all doing so whilst coming off as depressed and defeated yet strong and self-aware. He assures the theatre full of people that he’s just like them, but on the surface, that is not quite so evident.
Along with writer Will Eno, Oliver Butler direct this hour long show. Based on the show’s structure, it can safely be assumed that Butler and Eno would’ve focused much of their efforts in coordination with Wilson’s acting. As there’s no set, and it’s really just Rainn there with the audience, everything revolves around his performance. Wilson’s ‘Office’ style line delivery and subtle physicality is fully present this show. He also at times has an uncharacteristic stillness on stage, as though he’s saying things without actually saying anything. His moments when addressing the audience are well connected, and manages to land laughs even in the oddest moments of the show. Wilson is physical at times, though not overly so, and balances his occasional movement and blocking with his lack thereof, placing more emphasis on his dialogue. He has soft moments, accompanied by a dreamy back-round score, and energetic periods that pull the audience back to life any time they get too comfortable listening to the stories. Rainn Wilson known as a funny man, shows off all his acting chops in this one man outing.
What probably makes him most interesting to watch, is how he interprets the text, and credit to who Eno who writes anything but a basic script, Wilson saying all of the text as if it’s his own words. Eno wrote a script that produces imaginative thinking and also raises a lot of questions, but perhaps, that is most likely the point. Since 2004, many people have been, and are, Thom Pain.
