100 Words About: Waiting for Godot

Last night I went to see Waiting for Godot for the first time. I knew nothing about the play: I'd heard of it, and it was supposed to be a classic, one of those bits of culture I'd never quite gotten around to.

American Players Theatre always does an excellent job with whatever they set their mind on, and this was no exception. (If you ever get a chance to go, I couldn't recommend it more!) Not only was the acting freaking phenomenal, but the actors held a discussion of the play afterward. Many audience members said that this was the best version of it they had seen, but one thing I found very interesting was a comment by young Marco Lama, who was playing the boy. A member of the audience asked him what he thought of the play, and he replied (in part) that people often talk without actually saying anything, and whenever he hears people do that he thinks of Waiting for Godot. (For those of you who haven't seen it, a large part of the play is filled with people killing time with ridiculous and obtuse conversation.)

Of course, this percipient observation was followed shortly by a woman in the audience who, in the guise of asking a question, babbled on without really saying (or asking) anything. And I honestly don't think she realized that she was doing it. Sigh.