BECKETT 5
The Odyssey Theatre’s Koan Unit brings the existential angst
of Samuel Beckett to life. That’s
it. Life in the face of the
inevitable that scholars and actors and others will debate for a long time. The essence of Theatre of the Absurd is
the process, perhaps.. or maybe,
like an abstract piece of art or a conceptual piece that fails to immediately
announce itself as Comedy, Tragedy, Drama, Satire? It leaves the audience to its own devices to figure it out,
if, indeed, there is something to figure out.
Having seen spectacular performances of Waiting for Godot, Beckett’s signature piece, along with a well
done Happy Days and interesting
takes on Endgame and Play, it’s a treat to be exposed to
Koan Unit’s take on Beckett 5. This is all prologue to warm
myself up to comment. The essential comment is that as troublesome as Samuel
Beckett may be with his making the audience do the work, this dedicated company
of actors comes together as an ensemble to share his work with a passion. Ron Sossi's experienced hand brings it all together.
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| Alan Abelew and Beth Hogan Photo by Ron Sossi |
In Act Without Words
II two large white bags are
discovered on the stage. A little
ding is heard as Koan’s Norbert Weisser, all in black with a long prod pokes
the bag stage left. Alan Abelew abruptly awakens! The bag is tossed. He prays silently
“Help Me!!” and attacks his
miserable day. His ‘work’ consists of laboring to move the other bag slightly
across the stage. Back in the bag,
the goad awakens Beth Hogan who blossoms to her awakening.. loves every minute
of life; dresses in the same suit, does the same ‘work’ as Alan has done. Retires.
Repeat. Whatever Beckett is telling us, the focus is laser
sharp. Is life a drudgery of work
or the joy of life?
In Come and Go,
we meet three pastel clad ladies, Diana Cignoni, Sheelagh Cullen and Beth Hogan
all seated comfortably in their fashion on a park bench. Again, the pace and focus are slow and
exacting. Each of these biddies
has a secret to share with another.
They are old friends. Cordial. Gossips. Ron Sossi’s crystal clear
direction in this and each of the pieces is what choreographs the precision of
the movements and the secrets that they share… or do they?
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| Beth Hogan, Diana Cignoni and Sheelagh Cullen Photo by Enci Box |
Catastrophe features
Hogan and Abelew again tending to a stationary statue, Weisser: a mannequin.
Weisser, as with each member of the Koan Unit is appropriately focused, only
allowing to be adjusted by the sycophant, Abelew, under the impatient thumb of
Hogan whose demands include infinitesimal adjustments. Hogan is a demanding director. She and her
nervous assistant create Art. It is uncomfortable and may be familiar to folks
who may have encountered the demands of an impatient perfectionist.
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| Alan Abelew and Norbert Weisser Photo by Enci Box |
Footfalls is stark
and melancholy.
As May, the
elegant and statuesque Diana Cignoni paces before an open door in
dialogue with
her dying mother (Sheelagh Cullen’s off stage voice). She paces
precisely nine
steps from right to left and left to right again and again. The floor
boards
creak with each step. It’s a death watch: obscure and still completely
absorbing as Ms Cignoni’s,
dedication to the work repeats and repeats itself: light fading and
fading from
stanza to stanza. Understanding May’s transformations here is a
challenge. We
hear Mother, but is she real? Seeing this work cold will not deliver the
same
reaction as when one takes time to read up a bit. Beckett’s stage
directions are often precise to create the
pace and atmosphere that he insists on. He often repeats lines and
situations. I found myself counting May’s steps
again and again as she walked her pathway: nine steps right, nine steps
left. Interestingly, the tone and physical changes with the
actress’s dedication kept the piece mysterious and absorbing.
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| Diana Cignoni Photo by Enci Box |
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| Norbert Weisser Photo by Ron Sossi |
Batting cleanup in Krapp’s
Last Tape, we discover a cluttered desk with drawers that lock and boxes
and books and the detritus of a life recorded on magnetic tape twenty nine
years earlier by Krapp (Norbert Weisser). It’s a life examined. On his birthday, Krapp is alone with
bananas and his memories, played again and again rewinding.. listening,
rewinding.. we hear him lament the
loss of the desire of his youth that stoked the life he was living years ago..
introspection and examination all deftly presented by Weisser, give pause to
everyone whose life may cry out for examination. The actor’s physical exhaustion reaches into the audience as
we hear that he now may be ready to just “be gone.” Is this current recording
the Last Tape that Krapp recorded? Or was it the last one that he has listened
to from Box 3 Spoooooooooooooooooooool 5? Krapp relishes the word: spool.
A friend has called the Beckett Experience a ‘slog.’ Indeed, one must have patience and come
prepared to do some work to begin to find the way. The playwright never makes
it an easy road to travel down. Sossi
and the Koan Unit (an apt name) bring this important work to life.
BECKETT 5
By Samuel Beckett
Produced by the Koan Unit
Directed by Ron Sossi
The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
2055 South Sepulveda
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Through March 5, 2017
Tickets and Information: (310) 477 2055 Ex 2