“Waiting for Godot” which is at Barrington Stage Company through Sunday, is probably one of theater’s best-known play titles.
Samuel Beckett’s tragicomedy has been described as a play about nothing; and everything.
It has no plot. Two tramp-like characters meet on a set that, except for a lone tree, is bare. They act as if they don’t remember each other as they go through the same rituals day after day as they wait for the mysterious Godot - who never shows up.
My favorite description of the show is by one of America’s finest clown actors - Bill Irwin, who has been in two Broadway productions of the masterpiece.
Paraphrasing from his one man show “On Beckett”, Irwin says, “It’s a play which in the first act nothing happens. Then they do it all again in the second act.”
To be truthful, although a work of genius, it can seem baffling.
However, for those who appreciate Beckett’s style, they often talk in adoring tones about the play for days, even years afterwards. That’s because it’s filled with subtle profundities that work their way into your mind and memory. It’s often called intellectually, but a better term is intuitive. For some reason, you understand what some people call babble.
I think of “Waiting for Godot” as a play that you have to experience with an open mind, in order to truly grasp.
You cannot expect a straightforward story. Instead you get 2 1/2 hours of nothing. “Nothing” that will make you think, ponder and discuss the reason for existence in a transitory world in which things keep repeating themselves - like man’s cruelty to man, search for salvation; rise & fall of power, and more.
The Barrington Stage production is exceptionally performed. As the more dominant tramp, Vladimir (DiDi) played by Mark H. Dold, is marvelous as a man who accepts his life and believes in a tomorrow.
What makes Dold’s work endearing is he believes in the future without caring if there is one. In the most horrible of times he accepts the reality of the present.
As his companion Estragon (GoGo), Kevin Isola is a marvel of subtlety. If the dialogue in the play confounds you, the expression on Isola’s face makes clear what he is feeling or not feeling. That he accomplishes this without drawing undue attention to his character is impressive.
Usually “Godot” is regarded as a two-person play. Recent casting choices reinforce this attitude. In 1988 there was a Robin Williams/ Steve Martin production. It was directed by Mike Nichols and Irwin played Lucky.
In 1989, Nathan Lane teamed with Bill Irwin who played Vladimir. In 2010 the huge London hit found its way to Broadway, starring Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen playing the tramps.
Clearly the play is catnip for prestigious performers who work as a two-person team. The Barrington performers might not have international reputations, but their skills are second to none.
What makes this BSC production so remarkable is the way director Joe Calarco makes this a sturdy four-person play.
The characters Pozzo and Lucky make brief appearances in act one and two. It’s often thought the master/slave duo are there for Beckett to make a commentary about Capitalism and to heighten the energy of the play.
Here, Christopher Innvar makes Pozzo a fully developed character rather than a simple caricature. His self-centered view on life gives some opposition to GoGo and DiDi’s complacent one day at a time way of life.
Max Wolkowitz creates one of the more enigmatic Lucky’s I’ve ever seen. By demonstrating the power of silence, his classic breathless, nonsensical, monologue makes sense. His work as a man who is almost non-existent is an ideal analogy for a play that questions existence.
Like the play itself, the bare set dominated by a huge tree is more than an empty set. Scenic designer Luciana Stecconi creates a mood of isolation with a non-specific space emphasizing a road to nowhere and the legendary tree.
She and lighting designer David Lander unite to create a space that encourages thoughts about both past and future.
My only quibble with this near perfect production is a personal issue with pronouncing the Americanized Godot with the European God-0h . It seems a bit obvious for a play in which nothing is obvious.
Too, director Calarco could have mined the performances for more humor. Calarco does everything else right, so to lessen the potential slapstick humor in the play has to be a conscious decision. One I disagree with.
It’s difficult to recommend a play that a lot of people will reluctant to see. However, I do believe that anyone who loves theatre should see “Waiting for Godot” at least once.
If you agree, this Barrington Stage production is an excellent one to try.
“Waiting for Godot” continues through September 4. For tickets and schedule information call 413-236-8888 or go to barringtonstageco.org
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
