Dennis E. Perkins, in association with Zack Allen and Caroline King, will present three rarely-performed short plays by renowned playwright Samuel Beckett.
Perkins says “Catastrophe,” “Come And Go,” and “Footfalls” will be performed at 7 p.m. at The Hive, near Magpies on North Central Street. Dates are Friday-Sunday, Jan. 12-14, and Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 18-20.
Perkins’ summary: “For a man of notoriously few words, Samuel Beckett has inspired more scholarly publications than any other 20th century dramatist. Winner of the 1969 Nobel Prize for Literature, ‘for his writing, which – in new forms for the novel and drama – in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation,’ Beckett’s plays distill and condense language, character and scene to an absolute minimum. Beckett’s work includes some 20 full-length plays, as well as several anthologies of poetry and short works of drama.”
“Footfalls,” an almost ghostly confabulation on memory, features Caroline King and Carrie Thompson.
“Come And Go” is often considered Beckett’s most perfect play. Three childhood friends meet to talk about and around certain aspects of their lives. The play contains only 121 words that are woven into and repeated in three segments of seven lines each. The play is performed by Caroline King, Biz Lyon and Carrie Thompson.
“Catastrophe” is often described as Beckett’s only overtly political play as it was commissioned for a night of support for playwright Vaclav Havel, who would later be named the first president of the Czech Republic. A director and his assistant put the final touches on a dramatic presentation which consists only of a man whom Beckett calls “The Protagonist.” The cast include Kevin Collins, Tyler Gregory and Biz Lyon.