Reviewed 3/14/04
Samuel
Beckett is an acquired taste, like caviar
or sadomasochism. The poster child for the Absurd, Beckett is best understood
by his philosophy developed later in his life that the best play is the
one with no words. The worlds that Beckett imagines are hopeless, intellectually
stifling places where symbolism abounds, but there's no real assurance
that these symbols truly relate to anything. The people that fill these
worlds are a lost lot, rife with human frailties and facing death with
barely any reason to go on. Nowhere is this more evident than in his Waiting
for Godot , a play
filled with dialogue that seems to mean a lot, but may in fact be nothing more
than a loquacious way of passing the time until something happens. In the current
production of Is What It Is Theatre's production, director Tim
Butterfield imagines the central characters of Estragon (Charles
Sohn) and Vladimir (Kane Anderson) as homeless
men awaiting the fabled Godot on the 7 th Street overpass of the I-10. The
interloping Pozzo (Rick Shipman) and Lucky (Franc
Gaxiola) are a local celebrity and his "posse," and the heraldic
Boy (Jeff Melvin) is the follower of a popular local religion.
Barely any words have been changed, just the visual element has been tweaked
by Butterfield. It's a nice way to bring currency to a difficult script.
There are many ways to present this script, from straight-faced to farcical. Butterfield has chosen something in between. There are definite moments of comedy, but the basic movement of the play is quite straightforward. Butterfield lets the tangled dialogue move without a lot of flourishes. This is a play about two men trying to forge tenuous bonds in the face of what seems to be impossible odds. The pacing is fast, the jokes pop, but the connections between Sohn and Anderson are true. Sohn is a pitiful sight. His character is simply too perfect: sympathetic, wild-eyed, and barely hanging on in this barren wasteland. Anderson is quick and bright, filling the role of a feminine presence while trying to keep a sharp mind of the pair. Shipman and Gaxiolia have a wonderful connection that comes through wordlessly. Shipman is loud, very loud, but it keeps in his character and his character's chosen charade. Gaxiolia is obviously much too young for his role, but despite the overdependence on hair whitening, he gives a strong portrayal from his mime to his unedited expurgation. Melvin plays the boy with earnestness. Michael Peck's set is easy to pinpoint for location, and is a nice, functional space.
This is not a show for everyone. My wife found the script confusing, a common feeling for those who haven't had the chance to read the script and discuss its subterranean subtext. I kept laughing at veiled inferences and unfinished observations which I admit I only "got" because of my AP English teacher. If you are willing to spend a lot of time grasping at straws while enjoying the artistic creations of a thoughtful director and actors comfortable with their craft, you'll definitely want to catch this production.
