by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
What: An Anthology of the Works of SAMUEL BECKETT
When: November 3rd @ 7:30PM
Where: UNF Fine Arts Center
The Theatre of the Absurd was spawned from the pens of a select few in the era after WWII. Often misunderstood, since it departs from realistic plots, character and linear existence, everything in Absurdist Theater isn’t built on the solid ground of the sensible and easily recognized forms of conventional theater. Truly gifted absurdists used the chaos to convey a message, hidden in repetitive dialogue and unreal dreamscapes.
Of those who wrote as absurdist playwrights, one man is mentioned most often as the author of the absurd: Samuel Beckett. Bob Jaffe, who has studied Beckett’s works extensively, has put together a one-man show in a kind of anthology of his collected works. The show, called …and then you go on. An Anthology of the Works of SAMUEL BECKETT has played in New York, garnering praise from the New York Times. The anthology will be coming to Jacksonville for one night only at UNF on November 3rd. Critics have often pointed to the bleakness of Beckett’s vision, but Jaffe feels that “his basic message is very optimistic—it may not be cheery, but it’s optimistic.”
When I talked with Bob Jaffe, both the playwright and sole star of this production, he spoke about how he “read almost everything…[Beckett] wrote” in preparation, including “his novels and poetry.” Out of these readings, Jaffe says he was “able to create a very consistent character” even though the anthology covers many of Beckett’s plays. He dons a worn suit and a bowler hat for the part, fastidious dresser down on luck.
Jaffe’s play was born out of his early experiences in theatre. Says Jaffe: “In 1971 I had worked on a similar anthology with Jack MacGowran…I stage managed that production for about a month. He [MacGowran] and I worked together on two things over a period of a couple of months and we became friends. I was a young stage manager and he was an experienced Beckett actor. So I spent a lot of time with him…discussing Beckett’s work and gaining more understanding…When I …came up with the idea to do this…thirty years later…my original idea was to resurrect… [MacGowran’s] anthology to honor Jack MacGowran and Beckett…The Beckett estate said I could not do that but they invited me to submit a proposal of my own…I did, and they accepted the second draft.” Jaffe is proud that Beckett’s estate approved and endorsed his work, since Beckett’s estate is as protective of his work as Beckett was when he was alive.
He’s done as much as possible to make Beckett understandable for the general population, without diluting his basic messages. Although Jaffe says that some of his audience has “approached the show with some degree of trepidation” audience members come away from the show having been entertained by Beckett’s mocking humor and with a better understanding of Beckett. “What I’ve tried to do in this anthology,” says Jaffe, “is to create a way for people to enter his work, in a very accessible manner. There’s a lot of fascinating storytelling that he does. I’ve tried to present some metaphors as opposed to others that are much more accessible so that people can see… [he’s] very readable.” Jaffe also told us that he’s “looking forward to the audiences in Florida. We’re having a talk-back after the performance. It’s one of my favorite parts of doing this…being able to talk afterwards about the work and people’s impression of it.”
You can get your tickets for this one-time Jacksonville performance at www.unf.edu/fineartscenter or by calling the box office at (904) 620-2878. The cost is $10 for students and $18-$22 for adults.
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