Waiting for Godot: When "Nothing" is Funny or Sad, or Is It?

Perhaps one reason Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot, endures is that it is a play about nothing and therefore can serve as a commentary about anything.

Is the Godot of the title meant as a play on the word God? Beckett once said it was not, but later admitted that it could be an unconscious allusion. There certainly is enough dickering by the play's main characters Vladimir, played by by Bill Irwin, and Estragon, played by Nathan Lane, over whether they will be saved once the elusive Godot appears. As well, there are numerous Biblical references and posturing over whether the Savior saved one of his co-crucified companions.

Speaking of which, the need for companionship is another theme that one might say is central. Anthony Page, director of The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Godot at Studio 54, believes that it is. "I was lonely," replies Vladimir when Estragon asks why he has woken him up--again.

And yet, maybe it is about the benefits of leaving corrosive relationships behind. John Goodman stars as Pozzo (pronounced "pot-so", which sounds quite similar to the Italian word for demented or crazy, "pazzo"), a man of mystery who is tethered by a rope to a man named Lucky, played by John Glover. But just who's leading whom? Of course, we think, it is the man in fine clothes, Pozzo, who has the upper hand, until we are given a counterintuitive--and disturbing--look at how the victim often is the one in charge. But who is the victim, and how can we be sure?

And if we are unsure of whether we are the victim or the victor, the loner or the lover, the saved or the savior, how will we know for certain what to separate that which matters and that which is of no consequence? How will we carve something--anything--from the No Thing that surrounds us? Are we even sure we are separate and distinct?

Indeed, entering Studio 54, a sign hangs above, asking, "You're not dreaming...or are you?"

If you are a fan of Goodman's goosepimple-giving Charlie Meadows in the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink, or hothead Walter in The Big Lebowski, then you will likely not be startled by Goodman's rendition of Pozzo, who is by turns gracious and terrifying. If you've not seen Goodman in a while, however, you might be startled by his heaving girth--reportedly now to be over 300 pounds. And yet--his enormity feels so appropriate to the role, I wondered if he padded it on, on purpose. Regardless, Goodman's rendered electrifying, vulnerable even, by his sincere effort to understand and nail his part--a welcome relief, since Broadway has recently adopted an annoying habit of stunt casting its dramas with bland Hollywood types who are clueless on a stage, but whose names nevertheless have marquis appeal.

Nathan Lane, I worried, would be too over the top with his tendency to mug the audience. Well he does, and thank goodness for that because it is brilliant. This is a script crammed with patter and verse--the sheer volume of words alone can leave an audience on edge. You'll either be riveted in an attempt to keep up, or you will simply give up. Lane's crafty comedic touches are excellently timed, and serve to help keep the audience in the game. And while exaggerated, his eye rolls and Yiddishy "meh's" and "bleh's" are also sensitive to the role's melancholy search for meaning.

Bill Irwin's Vladimir is a compelling, charming, principled man. It is his heart that seems to thump at the center of this production--he is needy, while also brimming with generosity in all his gestures. Irwin manages to make Vladimir someone you want to comfort--and even, if he would agree, to be comforted by.

Glover is on record as saying he did not want the role of Lucky, fearful he would not be able to live up to it. He needn't have worried. Glover's Lucky is like an accident on the Turnpike: you know the horror that hides behind that twisted wreck, you know that it will turn your stomach to look, but you can't turn away. You must know: what is the extent of the damage? And, will anyone survive?

These actors are working hard to make this work, which is hard, it's clear. That is just a taste of the sort of dialogue this all-star ensemble must set to rhythm as Godot is still in previews. This show is an exercise, not a trifle. But like that sweet treat, you might just continue to think about it after it's over, it's that good.

Waiting for Godot is in previews at Studio 54 through July 5, 2009. For more information:

http://www.godotonbroadway.com/

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