INTERVIEW: The wondrous head-scratching of Beckett returns to Irish Rep
Photo: Roger Dominic Casey stars in Play, one of the entries in Beckett Briefs at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg / Provided by Print Shop PR with permission.
NEW YORK — The Irish Repertory Theatre never backs down from a challenge, and that is on particular display right now with the company’s 75-minute evening called Beckett Briefs, which features three short plays by the great Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. Known for Waiting for Godot and Endgame, Beckett was the preeminent writer of his generation, someone who wasn’t prolific but could always be counted on for some good old-fashioned theatrical head-scratching. His shows are somewhat disorienting to newcomers, but pure confounding bliss to those who like limitless interpretation and perceived depth.
Beckett Briefs, directed by Ciarán O’Reilly, features Not I, which offers the view of a disembodied mouth reciting a speedy monologue that is incomprehensible yet entirely transfixing. Then there’s Play, about a trio of disembodied heads floating above their urns. Spoiler alert: They’re in the afterlife. (“Disembodied” seems to be a common there here.) The final play is the well-known Krapp’s Last Tape, starring Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham as a person replaying old recorded tapes over and over again.
Play, the middle part of this trio, is an alluring, chaotic display of theatrical talent, lulling audience members into an in-media-res relationship that never stops to explain itself. The one-act stars Roger Dominic Casey, Kate Forbes and Sarah Street (Street also performs in Not I). Recently Casey exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to talk all things Beckett. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Were you familiar with Beckett’s Play before this production?
No, I wasn’t. That made it even more exciting to jump in.
What’s it like to perform Beckett’s words? It would seem there could be some challenges to the language.
It’s like walking a tightrope — especially in Play. You have to dig into the words, embrace the constraints and then let all that go. It’s about allowing yourself to be a vessel for the story. It’s about focus — not too much, not too little. It’s about breath. It’s an exercise in trust — trusting the text, trusting the rehearsal process, trusting your instrument, trusting your instincts, because once the arrow leaves the bow, there’s no turning back.
What do you think are the lessons to be learned from Play?
Even if we don’t always see it, everyone is doing their best. Have grace. Be honest. Live your truth. And if Play teaches us anything, it’s that purgatory is trash.
Do you believe the afterlife is anything like what Beckett has created for this show?
Absolutely not.
Is considering one’s mortality a healthy exercise? It seems a bottomless topic to debate and a perfect subject for a play.
It’s good to stay humble — to remember that compared to the universe, we’re tiny specks, barely understanding our own little world. If we’re not grounded, we might just jump off the roof to see if we can fly. Yes, mortality is a fascinating subject for a play, but with everything going on in the world right now, there are plenty of urgent and more interesting things to write about.
When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
High school. I’d just tested into this college prep boarding school in Virginia — big shift, new world. Figured I’d take a semester off sports to get my bearings, but of course, I couldn’t just sit around. I had to find something to do for the afternoon curriculum. (It was also mandatory.) Called my mom for advice, and she knowing me better than I knew myself said, “Why don’t you try acting? You’re always doing voices, putting on little shows, might as well see if you’re any good at it.” Challenge accepted. By senior year, I was all in. Got my B.F.A., and now here we are. Funny how life works. Thanks Momma!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Beckett Briefs, featuring Roger Dominic Casey, continues through Sunday, March 16, at the Irish Repertory Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
