Sat 10/1 @ 5PM
Once, a very long time ago, I went directly from the having my wisdom teeth extracted at the dentist (under anesthesia, no less!) and took a train from the south side of Chicago to Northwestern University in the northern suburb of Evanston to see a production of Samuel Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot. It certainly made the play, about the futility of … just about everything … seem more interesting.
“Let’s go.”
“We can’t.”
“Why not?”
“We’re waiting for Godot.”
Etc. for two acts in which nothing happens.
First performed in 1953, the piece is considered a milestone in Theater of the Absurd, a movement which flourished, primarily in Europe in the 40s and 50s, producing non-linear, often plotless plays in which inexplicable, unrelated things occur, defying easy interpretation.
Waiting for Godot is certainly all that, although it defies new directorial interpretations — Beckett famously opposed casting women, for instance. But performing it in unusual locations can add another layer of meaning and/or dislocation. And that’s what Brant Butze and Jon Leiken will be doing when they perform the play at Jacob Butze’s Bench at Shaker Heights’ Horseshoe Lake Park.
Bring a blanket or chair to sit on the grass for this outdoor perform in memory of Jacob Butze to benefit and raise awareness of the Legal Aid Society, which provides assistance to those who can’t afford a lawyer. In case of rain, the performance will move to an indoor location. It’s free to attend and no reservation is necessary. More info here.