By OLIVIA PALMER
The last theatre production of BYU’s 1998-1999 theatre season, Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” begins July 28 at the Margetts Theater in the Harris Fine Arts Center.
The play depicts two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, as they pass the time waiting for a man named Godot to come. In Act I they wait, and in Act II … they continue to wait.
Vladimir is played by Javen Tanner, while Estragon is played by Ryan Rauzon.
As they wait, Vladimir and Estragon meet Lucky, played by Chad Gooch, and a young boy, played by Julina Hall.
The unexpected meetings with these characters keep the despairing tramps from the complete insanity of boredom that seems imminent with the prolonged waiting.
According to director Josh Brady, “Waiting for Godot” has “continually been voted the greatest play of the 20th century.”
Despite it’s popularity, Brady said the play is often misunderstood.
“The most common misconception about ‘Waiting for Godot’ is that it is an atheistic look at why there is no God,” Brady said.
“Beckett insisted Godot was not God,” Brady said. “The play is about false hopes, it’s about waiting for a metaphysical cavalry to swing in and save you, and I don’t think we believe in that.”
According to Brady, the play presents some thought-provoking issues.
“‘Waiting for Godot made me think of my relationship with God, it makes people think about what’s going on in their lives,” he said.
In a news release, Tanner said he was intrigued by the play’s meaning.
“It’s a masterpiece; it’s a play about human beings,” he said.
And while the play deals with some sober issues, it’s also packed with vaudeville comedy. In preparation for the performance, Brady said the cast watched “hours and hours of Abbott and Costello and Marx Brothers.”
“The play is not only thought-provoking, but incredibly funny,” Brady said. One of the biggest challenges for the production was dealing with a cast emergency that put Brady not only in the director’s seat, but also in an acting position. Brady directs the play and plays the part of Pozzo.
The play will be shown at the Margetts Theatre in the HFAC from July 28 to August 7 (excluding Mondays and Sundays) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 ($2 off with BYU or student ID) and are available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office or by calling (801) 378-4322.
