Hello again, bookworms! Today, I’m reviewing a one-act play that I quite enjoyed and resonated with; one called English Made Simple. It’s part of a larger series of play reviews/analyses from David Ives’ beautiful All in the Timing collection, which I was introduced to in my school’s theater class. Enjoying them as much as I did, here I am making my first iteration of the series. Let’s start!

A Classroom Introduction

As previously mentioned, this play was one I was introduced to in school. But the class also performed it as well, making the experience for this one even better. I will say for this one, the play being performed definitely brings out the socially comedic elements of it more than just reading it, though that’s just me. You’ll see what I mean when I get to describing the scenes.

Chapter 3: The Party, Section 1: Saying Hello

This first little section starts with a dig at the idea of first impressions. Apparently, the first three minutes of conversation can determine the results of the relations between two people for the rest of eternity. It sounds a bit ridiculous, which is the entire point; first impressions shouldn’t be everything, though they do seem to be in the ensuing conversation. It’s awkward as all heck, where both sides are at a complete loss for what to say. Everyone’s had an experience like that at some point, and I love how Ives relates to the reader in that way with the most painfully awkward party scenario possible. He’s telling us that we’re probably not as bad at socializing as we think; at least we haven’t experienced something that awkward (probably, anyway).

Ives next touches on a micro-occurrence that we’ve all had, but that’s hard to explain. The previous conversation repeats, but with just alien-like beeps and boops; yet, we can still discern the general awkward nature of the conversation. You’ve probably been in a public space before, and overhear a conversation but don’t know exactly what’s being said. But Ives gets at the part where we understand the general feeling of the exchange just by how it sounds. To me, a genius and pinpoint usage of the English language.

A short segment of a guy trying to woo a woman at a party ensues, doing an excellent job of encapsulating the frequency of times which an interaction can be summed up by just two words: “Hello” and “Goodbye.” Brevity of social interactions is real, as if Ives is pulling the reader’s ear to call back all those times.

Section 2: The Structure of English Conversation

This one focuses on, as the title says, the structure of conversations. Another sentiment beautifully displayed by Ives is how much socializing can feel like a template; an outline where we just fill in the blank. And it does feel that way a lot of the time, in opposition with a no-pressure and free-flowing interaction. We do get to see that next, but with a painful experience attached to it. It’s not uncommon to have a person that you’ve had a falling-out with and eventually come across them again, but all there is to talk about is the feel-good times you had; there’s nothing new to be had. Sad times for sure, and Ives masterfully portrays that type of encounter so well that it’s a better depiction than even a mind can come up with. Mixing it with the free-flowing and template-free social interaction theme is the cherry on top.

Section 3: Simultaneous Translation

If I could give a one sentence summary of this part, it would be this: two people trying to roast each other in the most professional way possible. Ives manifests the feeling of knowing exactly what someone means despite the person not telling you, especially when they hate you. Of course, he equally portrays the other side of the coin; AKA, where you have a hard time figuring out other people’s intentions. At the same time, it is an expression of the pain we feel when we can’t truly express our thoughts. Always having to convey our thoughts in such a sanitized way is an agony all people have to deal with, and the comedic way Ives weaves this meaning with an exercise in social understanding can’t be understated. Only problem is the length, since it had the potential to be so much more if it was a longer section. But on its own merit, the praise still stands.

Section 7: Fill In The Blank

This one takes the theme of template-like social interactions from Section 2, but twists it in a completely new direction and meaning. It’s about the déjà-vu of having had essentially the same conversation in the past; the names and places change, but it’s the same feeling and result at the end. But what truly differentiates Section 7 from Section 2 is how it implies the idea of an mutual comprehension between two individuals, in terms of having had the same social experience with another person. Exactly captures that “me too!” experiential moment, which Ives perfectly interleaves with déjà-vu. A genius theme double entendre.

Section 26: The Conditional Tense

Immediately recycling the tease on first impressions from the first section, I love the idea of exploring the other side of it: a great first impression. And then proceeds to smoothly parody the ever-expanding mental tree we make of our potential relationship to another person, only to come back to reality near the end. Ives makes us take a look at ourselves here; to not look so much at the should, would, and could of our daily interactions. But instead, we should (see what I did there?) also focus on reality and go with the flow of the situation we’re in. It’s just as much a dream as it is a reality, and Ives’ execution in communicating that is a perfect 10.

Section 78: Saying Goodbye

While I hate how short this one is, it’s hilarious what it stands for. Ives takes the “just act normal” we tell ourselves when nervous and turns it into an actual narrator who is essentially giving the person save states for their social impression. I especially admire how Ives implicitly conveys the inner desperation we feel when trying to act normal, and pat ourselves on the back when we give up and act raw. It may not have been perfect, but we still deserve an A+ for effort.

Conclusion

I absolutely loved these mini parodies of common occurrences and epiphanies of social life, with the realistic nature of each situation making it even more relatable to the reader (it is a play after all). My only issues with English Made Simple are that some sections are too short and feel too forced-in for the sake of the performance (Section 78 in particular). I’d give it a 4.7/5, with micro-points taken off for the aforementioned reasons.

Here is a video of the play being performed, by the way, which definitely encapsulates the interpersonal parts of the play better than words can.