#1
Posted: 4/12/09 at 6:01pm
The beauty of Anthony Page's production of Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT is its simplicity. Page and his game, A-list cast of Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman and John Glover (in order of speaking) don't try to tack an extra meaning onto the text; they let the piece, and its variety of possible meanings, speak for themselves. What we have is an uncomplicated, unencumbered, lovely and heartbreaking buddy play.
The chemistry and mutual trust between Lane and Irwin is what really makes this production special. Their's is a deep, long-standing, caring friendship. They'll do anything and everything for one another, they can't live without one another. That's the reason why they can't kill themselves; that's why they keep returning to one another. Their physical comedy, reminiscent of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy is wonderful.
If they are the common man, Goodman's Pozzo is the fat, wealthy landowner (since fat signifies wealth, and wealthy people own land) who is blind to the world around them (figuratively and literally). Glover's dazzling Lucky is the seen-but-never-heard butler who has brains beneath the facade.
And then there's the messenger, the little boy (name escapes me, the alternate), the angel of life, the younger version Godot, the angel of death, (-ot being a diminutive in French, Godot would mean "little God"). That's the reason why Gogo and Didi can't kill themselves; Godot still hasn't arrived.
Striking designs (Loquasto, Greenwood, Kaczorowski) and a fluid staging. Finding the humor and pathos, this is a truly wonderful production.
The chemistry and mutual trust between Lane and Irwin is what really makes this production special. Their's is a deep, long-standing, caring friendship. They'll do anything and everything for one another, they can't live without one another. That's the reason why they can't kill themselves; that's why they keep returning to one another. Their physical comedy, reminiscent of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy is wonderful.
If they are the common man, Goodman's Pozzo is the fat, wealthy landowner (since fat signifies wealth, and wealthy people own land) who is blind to the world around them (figuratively and literally). Glover's dazzling Lucky is the seen-but-never-heard butler who has brains beneath the facade.
And then there's the messenger, the little boy (name escapes me, the alternate), the angel of life, the younger version Godot, the angel of death, (-ot being a diminutive in French, Godot would mean "little God"). That's the reason why Gogo and Didi can't kill themselves; Godot still hasn't arrived.
Striking designs (Loquasto, Greenwood, Kaczorowski) and a fluid staging. Finding the humor and pathos, this is a truly wonderful production.
Updated On: 4/12/09 at 06:01 PM
