Student Blog: My Unironic Love of Act Without Words II

For anyone unfamiliar with Mr. Beckett, let me give you a brief description of his work: Beckett's plays are unique in that they are so simplified and vague, you question what is really going on as you watch. He is possibly most well known for Waiting for Godot in which the two main characters do exactly that, wait for the mystery person by the name of Godot, for the entirety of the play.

When I think of Beckett the first few things that come to mind are post-modern and nihilism. Those of you who know me know that I LOVE nihilism. The idea of life being meaningless and nothing really matters is oddly comforting to me, and it is a very prevalent theme in many of Beckett's works.

My junior year of college I was asked to stage manage Fleeting Full which was a compilation of 4 short Beckett plays. After just two rehearsals, I fell completely in love with the plays, specifically Act Without Words II.

What first appealed to me about Act Without Words II is the two characters begin by waking up and crawling out of huge bags. It's hilarious. The two characters proceed to go about their day. They eat a carrot, pray, exercise, take pills, brood, and other things of that sort. The script itself is literally just a list of actions for each character. One of the characters, simply named A, slowly and begrudgingly goes through their routine, grunting all along the way. The other, B, goes about the day with a pep in their step and a smile on their face.

My interpretation if this is positivity vs. negativity. A is upset by having to do the same, mundane tasks day after day. They mumble and growl about it, but what is the point in that? It doesn't make the day any faster. B, on the other hand, performs a very similar sequence of tasks but they find the beauty in the mundane. If nothing really matters much in the long run, why not find the fun in it? Both characters accomplish the same things, but B is obviously living a more exciting life through joy.

I very quickly found out that my opinion on Beckett was a controversial one. Everyone, at least at Butler, either loves or hates his work. I love the weirdness that is Beckett because like B, I find the joy and humor in every play I watch or read of his. His writing is dripping with dry humor and parody, and I think people much too often overlook that. When directors and performers take the plays too seriously, they become stoic and bland. No wonder some people find Beckett boring. They've watched a production that has stripped the words of their life and joy. It's supposed to be silly and fun, and through that, the existential meanings can be found. There are people crawling out of giant bags. Laugh!

I always picture Beckett laughing from the grave every time someone takes his plays too seriously. However if that interpretation is completely incorrect, I would like to formally apologize to Mr. Beckett himself. I mean no offense.