Play ‘Waiting for Godot’
This is the question that the play ‘Waiting for Godot’ asks the audience. American playwright Dave Hanson’s modern reinterpretation of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play ’Waiting for Godot’. Park Company, which produced the play ‘Waiting for Godot’ starring actors Shin Goo and Park Geun-hyung, which sold out all tickets, is presenting it for the first time in Korea. It will be performed at Hall 3 of Yes24 Stage, Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul until the 1st of next month.
The work depicts two actors waiting endlessly to go on stage in the play ‘Waiting for Godot’. While waiting for ‘Godot’ to become a director, advance to Broadway, or receive five-star reviews, they wrestle with questions about life and art that are both comical and profound. Kwak Dong-yeon, who appeared in the drama ‘Queen of Tears’, played the role of Ester, a ‘young old woman’ who gets angry every now and then, and Park Jeong-bok played the role of Val, a dim-witted but passionate latecomer.
It is easy and light to watch compared to the heavy Beckett original. Like the original, there is meaningless dialogue, but the laugh points are appropriately distributed, such as “There is a ‘god’ in GODOT.” The message of the work is also conveyed relatively kindly. Intuitive lines such as “Is there anyone who realizes the full meaning of their life while living?” help understanding. However, it feels a bit awkward that the tone of the performance suddenly becomes serious while pushing the message in the second half of the performance.
