Endgame
Written by Samuel Beckett
Directed by Aaron Snook
at RBP Rorschach, 4001 N. Ravenswood (map)
thru Oct 4 | tickets: $15-$20 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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A fresh take on a Beckett’s play about stagnation
The Right Brain Project presents
Endgame
Review by Keith Glab
Avant-garde theater presents several challenges to produce. How can you best elucidate the meaning of abstract elements while still keeping the audience engaged? In Endgame, The Right Brain Project takes several liberties with a well-known avant-garde work that both sheds new light on Samuel Beckett’s themes and captivates a modern audience.
In Aaron Snook’s interpretation, Clov spends the preshow ushering in the audience and preparing them to witness this final day. The two characters acknowledge the audience’s presence and directly break the fourth wall with many of their lines. Rather than the barebones set called for in the script, Arnel Sancianco decorates this living hell with newspapers, tattered clothes, old rugs, and canned goods in an imaginative use of space. In Snook’s biggest deviation from the script, Hamm’s parents are not live actors, but rather crude puppets maneuvered by Clov in an apparent effort to convince Hamm that his parents are still alive. The fact that Hamm can only here the mimicked voices but not see the actual puppets suggests that having another presence in the room provides comfort to Clov as well. This is one of those rare massive changes that works so well that those unfamiliar with the script would never realize Beckett hadn’t written Nagg and Nell to be portrayed this way.
Vannon excels at the puppetry and personifying three distinct voices. His physicality of having unbending knees yet somehow making his tall frame shrunken works quite well for the subservient Clov. Lonergan commands the room using only his screechy singsong voice that sounds perfectly naturalistic in his delivery. The chemistry between these two actors is palpable, particularly in the close quarters provided in this production.
Though I’m highly recommending Endgame, the show clearly isn’t for everyone. The play’s meaning isn’t easy to glean, which might be frustrating for many. Despite the production’s entertainment value, two hours is exceedingly long to go without an intermission, particularly in the unventilated 4th-floor RBP Rorschach space. Nevertheless, this format lends itself perfectly to the subject matter; the audience should feel a little monotonous and uncomfortable towards the end of the production.
The Right Brain Project once again stays true to its mission to “defy preconceived notions and challenge the contemporary theater experience” in this unique production of Beckett’s masterpiece. Their efforts are so praiseworthy that I hesitate to end…
Rating: ★★★½
Endgame continues through October 4th at RBP Rorschach, 4001 N. Ravenswood (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets are $15-$20, and reservations can be made through BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at TheRBO.org. (Running time: 2 hours, no intermission)
Photos by Tom McGrath
artists
cast
Vincent Lonergan (Hamm), Bries Vannon (Clov), Lena Bloom, Ralph Knowlson
behind the scenes
Aaron Snook (director), Joseph Ramski (asst. director), Krista Reeves (stage manager), Elsa Hiltner (costume design), Arnel Sancianco (set design), Michael Smith (lighting design), Tom McGrath (photos)
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