Enduring Jest

by Zach Barr

FULL LENGTH
Since 1996, David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest" has been heralded by its readers as among the greatest novels ever written. But with a length of 1079 pages and a dense, non-linear structure, not everyone has the time, patience, or interest to read it. Zach Barr decided to figure out what exactly about this book brought out such fervent responses – both for and against the book. But, there's one...

FULL LENGTH
Since 1996, David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest" has been heralded by its readers as among the greatest novels ever written. But with a length of 1079 pages and a dense, non-linear structure, not everyone has the time, patience, or interest to read it. Zach Barr decided to figure out what exactly about this book brought out such fervent responses – both for and against the book. But, there's one caveat: they didn't read it. Instead, they interviewed 38 readers, and asked them to explain the plot secondhand.

Comprised entirely from the verbatim text of those interviews, ENDURING JEST is half a loose adaptation of Wallace's magnum opus, and half an exploration of how difficult it is to explain why we love the art we love. Funny and tragic in equal measure, the play looks beyond the cultural status of the book as a "red flag," to uncover the desperation, addiction, and need to be heard that runs through all of us.

Written through the 2024 Three Brothers Theatre Playwrights Residency.

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Enduring Jest

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Enduring Jest by Zach Barr
    “

    I completely agree that this play should not work but somehow it does and it's a work of genius. A celebration of what great literature can do. I loved how much is left up to the director to make this play into a compelling piece of art. I can't wait to see this play produced. I have never read Infinite Jest and I'm not sure if this play makes me want to but it definitely stirred some kind of emotion up in me.

    I completely agree that this play should not work but somehow it does and it's a work of genius. A celebration of what great literature can do. I loved how much is left up to the director to make this play into a compelling piece of art. I can't wait to see this play produced. I have never read Infinite Jest and I'm not sure if this play makes me want to but it definitely stirred some kind of emotion up in me.

    ”
  • Zack Peercy: Enduring Jest by Zach Barr
    “

    ENDURING JEST absolutely should not work. And yet, it does. A profound, engrossing, maddening script that turns an inaccessible subject into a loving embrace. I would gladly sit on a recorded phone interview for hours discussing this script and my love for it.

    ENDURING JEST absolutely should not work. And yet, it does. A profound, engrossing, maddening script that turns an inaccessible subject into a loving embrace. I would gladly sit on a recorded phone interview for hours discussing this script and my love for it.

    ”
All VOICES double roles across the play. The minimum cast size is five. There is no maximum cast size.

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