Theatre presents Waiting For Godot
The Department of Theatre at Cornell College will perform Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic “Waiting for Godot” starting April 15, 16, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m. in Kimmel Theatre. The play is directed by Cornell professor Jim VanValen and is the last main stage production of the year at Cornell’s Kimmel Theatre.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for non-Cornell students. Faculty, staff, and students of Cornell are admitted without charge.
Samuel Beckett is widely considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century. His works have been presented worldwide, and his play Waiting for Godot is one of the most influential plays in western theatre history. Godot tells the story of two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, as they converse and attempt to pass the time while awaiting the coming of Godot, an individual they know nothing about, yet whose arrival they anticipate feverishly.
Cornell’s Waiting For Godot lives up to the reputation of its predecessors as a visually remarkable production. The look and style of the play has been inspired by the American vaudeville tradition and such great silent film clowns as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy. The original New York show was called “a mystery wrapped in an enigma” by the New York Times. Cornell’s production follows in the footsteps of previous Godots while maintaining a sense of freshness and energy.
The play is performed by an ensemble cast of Cornell students. The symbolism and imagery of Godot has been theatrically expressed through the collaborative talents of senior Theatre major Amanda Newman, costume designer, junior Theatre major John Wilson, sound designer, and Theatre Department Chair Scott Olinger, set and lighting designer.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office by calling in advance at (319) 895-4293, or at the door.
