COLUMBIA, Mo: “We Waited for Godot All Night Long and He Stood Us Up”

The intense and enormous force of nature that is the play “Waiting for Godot” written by Samuel Beckett left me utterly speechless at the opening night performance at Studio 4 in McKee Gym. The cast, minimalism of the set, and the total and complete direction of Director Suzanne Burgoyne transcended the audience into the nearly timeless world of Vladimir and Estragon. Estragon, played by Ian Downes, and Vladimir, played by Samuel DeMuria allow us to feel just as lost as they are on their lonely, old country road.

Beckett’s famous fable has a way of drawing the audience in to connect with his two heroes, Estragon and Vladimir. The two men have come to the middle of an old, country road with a single tree and a stoop. Scenic Designer, Brad M. Carlson, portrays the isolated road in a way that makes the audience feel included in the set. For example, the choice of allowing the actors to use every single bit of space they can until the very last second of breaking the fourth wall. This includes the entire width of the room and makes it feel as though the audience is sitting and waiting right along with Estragon and Vladimir for their savior to come and help them.

As they are not-so-patiently waiting for a mysterious man named Godot to come and give their lives some sort of purpose, the two men find ways to keep themselves and the audience busy. They entertain each other through various vaudeville acts and storytelling, often catching themselves in their feelings, making them ponder what life would have been like if they had done something completely different.

In the midst of their storytelling, they encounter two men along the way, Pozzo, played by Andre Steward, and his slave, Lucky, played by Matt Schmittdiel. Steward plays Pozzo to the extreme as the elaborate, smart-mouthed, and slightly violent man who breaks up the lonely duo during their time on the road. Although he answers no to being the man they have been feverishly waiting for, it had me questioning whether or not Godot is a single person, place, or thing. Although he writes to the two men stating that he will join them, the men have no idea what he even looks like. Could Godot possibly be the one that sends the messenger, rather than being the message himself? This is also called into question with the young Boy, played by Jack Fulkerson, who visits them throughout the show to warn them that Godot will not appear and hints that Godot beats him and his brother. The Boy (Fulkerson) visits them twice during the time they are waiting for Godot, and never gives straight answers to Vladimir when he asks about Godot and when he might possibly come to help them out.

From Pozzo and Lucky to the Boy visiting these two men, it makes me wonder if Estragon and Vladimir are missing the point. The audience witnesses how frustrated Vladimir becomes when none of his questions are being answered by the Boy, and then doing absolutely nothing about it. Instead of being told what you should do in order to make your life better, seize the opportunity and take it for yourself once it is presented to you. Almost as if to say, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” However, it is successfully shown by DeMurio and Downes that Vladimir and Estragon are incapable of doing so and must rely on repetition to keep them going throughout their waiting period.

If you’d like a challenge, then “Waiting for Godot” is a must see.