Combined with the caricature-like over-acting of many characters, moments of the show grow cumbersome quite quickly - and in a play where famously nothing happens, well-handled complexity needs to be the core of the show.īeyond the tireless exchanges between Estragon and Vladimir, by far the best moment of Deadword’s production is Lucky’s (Liam Grimaldi) outburst of philosophical ramblings that leaves the entire stage trembling. For nearly an entire act, a sound effect pings every time a character remarks they are “Waiting for Godot,” hitting the audience over the head with the same clumsiness of a sitcom. It both cheapens some of the more powerful instances of resolute absurdity and becomes so distractingly overt the actors lose control over their own play-space. At times it helps cut exchanges soaked in vulgarity, but largely focuses on adding cartoonish sound effects to already slapstick sequences. The repetition at the center of Beckett’s dialogue becomes laborious under Yeatman’s interpretation, and when Estragon declares “the more you eat the worse it gets,” I couldn’t agree more.ĭeadword’s sound design is perhaps the most disappointing element. It’s funny, for sure, but an over-reliance on audience chuckles means the more interesting purpose of Estragon’s inert futility and forgetfulness is lost on Yeatman. Estragon (Jack Yeatman) acts with the bravado and exaggeration of an improv show, a weak opposite to Aschenbach’s complex subtlety. Deadword’s production leans far too heavily on slapstick humor in an attempt to balance out the morbidity and intensity of Beckett’s masterpiece. While Aschenbach’s performance finds its stride as the two-act play progresses, the rest of the production falters. The performance is worth seeing just to watch Aschenbach untangle Vladimir’s rambling monologues with both conscious contemplation and enthusiasm. Costume Designer Gaby Obando Arévalo aces her assignment with Vladimir, as the vagabond loses threads from his clothing as haphazardly as he loses his grip on reality. The Company’s demand for minimalism creates a performance enriched by focus and not scarcity, and lets their lighting designer and actors control the atmosphere.Īschenbach’s command of Vladimir’s neurotically existential tendencies is magnetic, balancing his more humorous moments with a restless mental anguish that jumps out without creating dissonance. “Waiting for Godot” plays out in a non-space made tangible only by a tree, somewhere for Estragon to sit, and the ever-present threat of night.
Housed in a tight space, the set design is minimal but adequate, enhanced greatly by Liam Grimaldi’s modern lighting design. 12 at The Rockwell, goes in a new, albeit unclear direction, borrowing from the best and worst of interpretations. Deadword Theater Company’s iteration, which opened Feb. “Waiting for Godot” has undergone every possible directorial interpretation since its 1953 debut absurdist masterpiece, religious playground, wartime resistance, existential fodder, and homoerotic comedy.
0 kommentar(er)
