VOICE CHOICE

"Listening to, hearing and watching this master class in acting cast savour the sweetness of Samuel Beckett's words is worth the ticket price alone. Everything else becomes a bonus. Highly engaging production. Directed with tremendous care and respect by Rodrigo Beilfuss."

In his Director's Programme Note, Rodrigo Beilfuss writes how the company felt that 'Waiting for Godot' was unlike anything else previously tackled. Usually, after lunch, that's when members became frustrated (probably because everyone had some time away and thoughts came running into their heads).
 
Was it the absurdity that abounds in the play that caused frustration?  According to Beilfuss, the decision came down to Just. Doing. The. Play, word by word and page by page.  In this process, the company discovered two things: the sweetness and savouriness of Beckett's words, along with recognizing how ridiculous and divine humans are.

The choice to stage 'Godot' in Winnipeg's Trappist Monastery Ruins offers a prominent visual juxtaposition. In the play, time once held some significance and importance for the characters. Since time has flown, the world of 'Godot' remains just as.  The same holds for the Ruins. They once held some existence and importance from a religious perspective. Now that time has fled, it appears just is within the Ruins.

Absurdist thinking on my part?  Possibly. Nevertheless, it makes sense to me.

Initially, this 'tragicomedy' appears simple enough to comprehend. Vladimir (Arne MacPherson) and Estragon (Cory Wojcik) converse with each other near a barren tree that has no life in it. There's wrapped burlap around several of the branches. The tree appears dead. Vladimir and Estragon move and sit on the remnants of a brick wall in the space. Throughout the play, the characters address each other as "DD" and "Gogo," respectively.

The two are waiting for Godot (with emphasis on the first syllable), who ultimately never arrives. In the meantime, while they wait, DD and Gogo meet Pozzo (Tom Keenan) and his slave, Lucky (Kiam Dutiaume), who acts as the horse for the imaginary cart the former playfully steers on the stage. Pozzo and Lucky are on their way to the market so Pozzo can sell Lucky for a profit. There is a boy (Mackenzie Wojcik) who makes quick appearances to tell Vladimir and Estragon that Godot will not arrive.

That's the basic plot. Not much changes except for the appearance of one leaf on the tree branch in Act 2 and the appearance of the moon announced with the banging of a gong.

What offers challenges to this company and audience members is the dialogue. At times, what the characters say, discuss and converse about many life issues make sense. There's talk about the process of thinking and whether the characters truly listen and hear what the other says. However, that all gets convoluted when Pozzo says Lucky was once a thinker.  Now, as the horse, Lucky thinks when Pozzo says it's fine to do so. At other times, there's discussion about whether Vladimir and Estragon truly listen to what the other says.

Where the plot becomes confoundingly confusing, it often remains hilarious to hear.  When Lucky finally speaks, he has a nearly four-page monologue that one might call a 'word salad.' However, Kiam Dutiaume's monologue performance is captivating. He plays with timing and delivery. He sounds and tastes the words precisely and clearly. Most of the time, what Dutiaume's Lucky says doesn't make sense, but oh, what enjoyment I had watching, listening and hearing what Lucky says.  I'm also reminded of a line from 'Macbeth' (the other show performed at the Ruins this summer in repertory) that the protagonist says at one point near the end: "It is a tale told by an idiot signifying nothing."  That's Lucky.

What also becomes confusing within the plot is how the characters seem unable to remember having met each other just hours ago. In Act Two, a blind Pozzo returns and cannot recall meeting Vladimir and Estragon mere hours ago. The young boy who makes an appearance near the end of Act One cannot recall meeting Vladimir and Estragon hours ago.

With tremendous care and respect for the text and the actors, Beilfuss directs the production with a masterly finesse.  As a result, what is clear in this performance is how Beckett's seventy-plus-year text resonates with a twenty-first-century audience. Vladimir and Estragon pull out and unravel paper to show the audience. (I won't tell you what it says). That's important for the twenty-first-century audience.

Additionally, there's a reference in the text to the nineties, and the audience laughed.  For us boomers, the 1990s do not seem that long ago. It's thirty-five years.

Beilfuss's creative team picks up on this vision, buys into it and creates snippets of the twenty-first century amid stopped time. Lovissa Wiens' selection of a cooler and a male carry-on bag that Lucky brings on when he first appears. Necessary water bottles for the actors do not detract at all from the story flow. Anika Binding's attractively filthy-looking yet baggy and decrepit suits worn by MacPherson and Wojcik draw attention when the actors first appear. I especially liked the patches all over the suits. The bowler hats and much-needed repairs in the boots remain the perfect choice. Tom Keenan's Pozzo, wearing glasses for the blind and a smart-looking black shirt and pants, exemplify twenty-first-century style standards.

The acting is a master class exercise.
 
Arne MacPherson and Cory Wojcik are stellar as Vladimir and Estragon. There's a delightful Laurel and Hardyish quality about the two. I wanted to go up on the stage and hug them for being so darn adorable. MacPherson and Wojcik focus, listen, and hear each other with genuine believability. They pause when necessary, either for a laugh or for a 'let that thought sink in' before continuing. Yet underneath that cuddly teddy bear look underlies an inherent sadness that Vladimir and Estragon are not merely sad sack shlubs. Instead, MacPherson and Wojcik reveal an inherent humanness within the characters that connect them. Whether it be through a quiet look, a stare, or a pause, MacPherson and Wojcik convey a great deal without saying too much.

Tom Keenan's enigmatic Pozzo is charming.  The wordplay volleyed back and forth between them during introductions is hilarious. I couldn't help but feel a strange and sad empathy for Keenan at the top of Act 2 when his Pozzo enters blind. Although Keenan sports a sharp-looking clothing style at the top of the act, his call for help from Vladimir and Estragon to stand up is sad, as no one rushes over. As Lucky, Liam Dutiaume's silent intent and focus remain gripping to watch as the others converse.  I couldn't help but keep looking over at Liam. His continued staring straight ahead becomes mesmerizing. I sat along the brick wall, watching the action.  I'm sure sitting closer would offer an entirely different perspective. Mackenzie Wojcik's brief appearance as the boy signifies not much will change when he grows to adulthood. Mackenzie nicely captures that youthful naivety.

Final Comments: For a twenty-first-century audience, several key issues should be considered. At one point, Vladimir and Estragon talk about leaving each other and never seeing each other again. Although they never do that, some audience members may have difficulties making friends. That is a sad reality of life that has remained unchanged for over seventy years. The talk about suicide and the fact that Vladimir and Estragon consider it if Godot never shows up also remains alarming, and individuals would even consider this.

Recently, I've learned that Toronto's Coal Mine Theatre will produce 'Waiting for Godot' this fall, with Ted Dykstra and Alexander Thomas in the central roles. I'd like to attend that performance and learn more about life from Beckett.

SIR's 'Waiting for Godot' is theatre magic.  Please get tickets and experience gifted actors sharing their craft with you.

Running time: approximately two and a half hours with one interval/intermission.

'Waiting for Godot' runs until July 6 at the Trappist Monastery Provincial Heritage Park, 80 Rue des Ruines du Monastere, Winnipeg. For tickets, boxoffice@sirmb.ca or call (204) 891-9160
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SHAKESPEARE IN THE RUINS presents
'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett

Directed by Rodrigo Beilfus
Assistant Director: Christine Leslie
Sets and Props Designer: Lovissa Wiens
Costume Designer: Anika Binding and coordination by Amelia Carlson
Fight Director: Jacquie Loewen
Production Manager and Running Crew: Evan King
Technical Director: Cari Simpson
Production Stage Manager: Katie Hoppa
Stage Manager: Samantha Sage
Assistant Stage Manager: Larissa Shabaga
Props and Set Coordinator: Rachel Baziuk

Performers: Arne MacPherson, Cory Wojcik, Tom Keenan, Liam Dutiaume, Mackenzie Wojcik