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The Irish Repertory Theatre<\/strong> By Brad Balfour<\/em> At this performance of \u201cOn Beckett\u201d \u2014 during its New York Premiere \u2014 Irwin made his very personal exploration of Beckett a very public demonstration. Through Irwin\u2019s presentation, Beckett\u2019s words become more mere verbally articulation \u2014 they are truly acted upon. This actor, clown, and comedian not only examines the man as a man and his words as theater but as to how his long experience of immersing himself in them \u2014 he has helped defined his art and life. And now he shares that with audiences through this show. Irwin imbues the words with physical action and his actions charge the words. Its the fundamental interplay that any great theater actor learns to make work on a stage before a live audience. Through it, this Tony Award-winner validate his existence just as Beckett\u2019s work calls into question the why of our existence.<\/p>\n A favorite son of Dublin, Beckett furthered the reputation of Irish writers as leaders of the avant-garde exploring dark themes through absurdity and black humor. Besides \u201cGodot,\u201d he wrote such plays as \u201cEndgame\u201d and \u201cKrapp\u2019s Last Tape,\u201d which further stretch the boundaries of what serves as a theater and not. Similarly, Irwin uses Beckett\u2019s visionary minimalism to its best effect here.<\/p>\n Through his long professional history, this MacArthur, Guggenheim, and Fulbright Fellow proves to be remarkable, even incredible conceptualist given his long experience especially with \u201cWaiting for Godot\u201d in which he starred with Nathan Lane). But that\u2019s hardly a dent in a resume which includes starring roles in such Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional productions as \u201cThe Iceman Cometh,\u201d \u201cWho\u2019s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (and won a \u201cTony\u00ae Award for Best Actor in a Play), \u201cThe Goat, or Who is Sylvia,\u201d and many more.<\/p>\n Irwin had several character roles on television and in such films as \u201cRachel Getting Married,\u201d \u201cThe Grinch Who Stole Christmas,\u201d \u201cEight Men Out,\u201d \u201cInterstellar,\u201d \u201cStepping Out,\u201d among others. <\/p>\n Originally developed at San Francisco\u2019s American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in consultation with Artistic Director Carey Perloff, it was produced at the Strand Theater in January 2017. Then it was workshopped at Vineyard Theatre and Seattle\u2019s Cornish College of the Arts. This show doesn\u2019t need electronic music, light-generated art, drones, virtual or augmented reality, animation, multimedia performance, or such enhancements to modern stage presentations. Oddly, because it\u2019s such a simple exercise, the show, it illuminates the importance of Charlie Corcoran\u2019s set, Michael Gottlieb\u2019s lighting design: and the sounds produces by M. Florian Staab. \u201cOn Beckett\u201d doesn\u2019t have to resonate for its words or motions but through a combination of sound and images on stage that makes it the experience that live theater should be. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/on_beckett-bw_carol_rosegg-1-1024x847.png\")
\u201cOn Beckett\u201d<\/strong>
\nFrancis J. Greenburger Mainstage
\nSeptember 26 \u2013 November 4th 2018
\nStarring Bill Irwin, guest appearance by Finn O\u2019Sullivan<\/p>\n
\n132 West 22nd Street
\nNew York, NY 10011
\nBox Office: 212-727-2737<\/p>\n
\nHe dodges, swoops, proclaims and dons a bowler like some hatted imp on The Irish Repertory\u2019s main theater stage. No that not wasn\u2019t the actions of the late Samuel Beckett \u2014 who would never did anything quite like that throughout his life and famed literary career. Rather it was the efforts of veteran actor Bill Irwin. The 68 year old slides up there onto stage to pay homage to his intellectual mentor and to offer audiences through his explications and hosannas about his experience with words in general, yes, specifically through the words generated by the late Nobel prize-winning playwright and author.<\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>