Last night I went to a West End play – my first in London – watching the uber-famous Waiting for Godot. I really have no idea why in the world it was so famous and well respected – as an English major who supposedly grasps literature, I just didn’t get it.
But it was great nonetheless. I was sitting in the front row, close enough to be almost spat on by the actors. And they did a lot of spitting. The light really caught it all.
Best, we had famous actors! It would have been a Trekkies dream – getting spat on by Patrick Stewart (who played John-Luc Picard, commander of the USS Enterprise, on Star Trek). The whole play I kept expecting him to say something to Lt. Crusher, or fight Klingons. Sadly not. Waiting for the Wrath of Kahn would have been soooo much more captivating.
Patrick Stewart as Vladamir, and as Picard
After the play finished, they left the boots, a prop central to the play, on the front of the stage. Perhaps I’m too goody-two-shoes nowadays, but I resisted the urge to just take them. What a tourist souvenir! The authentic shoes from a famous production! I settled for taking a picture on the sly instead, (both photography and shoe-theft were forbidden). One shoe, one hat, and the stage are in the background.
Update, June 10, 2009: According to my learned friend Diana Pittet, this play about essentially nothing could be seen as an influence on shows like Seinfeld or even the opening scene of Pulp Fiction, in which the two characters discuss apparently trivial matters like french friend, Royal with Cheeses, and taking a proper glass, not-no-dixie-cup, of beer into the movie theatre.
I was surprised and joyously amused to learn this, as I had discussed this very scene to my fellow theatre-goer when trying to re-enter the theatre after intermission with a glass of wine. While Quentin Tarantino might have been influence by Waiting for Godot, the staff at the theatre were clearly not influenced by Quentin Tarantino. I and my wine could enter, but only in a dixie cup.
Somehow, hearing the play explained through pop culture and container restrictions, it all began to make sense. Kindof.
