Waiting for Godot has been voted the most significant English language play written in the 20th Century.

It seems simple enough, two characters, Estragon and Vladimir, waiting for someone called Godot. But as these two struggle through the agony of waiting, we see the frustration and hope we all experience as we all wait for our own ‘Godot.’ Some of us hoping to win 6/49, or hoping to meet Mr. Right, or see the Canucks win the Stanley Cup. Through daily and annual disappointment we still continue to hope.

Samuel Beckett wrote his masterpiece shortly after the end of the Second World War; a war that ended with the atomic destruction of two Japanese cities.

Mankind now had and still has the means and ability to annihilate itself. Beckett, dealing with this new reality, creates a play that, in a sense, ‘nukes’ traditional theatre. He writes a theatre piece that has no plot and little or no character development. It begins in no place and ends in nowhere. The world is turned upside down – the slave becomes the master, the rich become poor, the strong become impotent. But through this upheaval his characters struggle with the basic human issues of existence. Their struggle is our struggle. Their fears are our fears. Waiting for Godot drips with symbolism. Come fill your cup.

Director Paul Kershaw has worked with four of the five actors in Godot in previous productions. Barry Borgstrom and PauI have worked together on at least 20 shows since his high school days. Dave Prinn, Mark Casey and Barry Coulter have been involved in recent productions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth. They all have solid acting skills making them competent performers. Since three of the four are grandfathers; each bringing a mature understanding of life to their roles. Their greatest challenge in the preparation of this production has been the memory work load. They have each spent countless hours outside of a heavy rehearsal schedule committing lines to memory.

The fifth member of our cast is 11-year-old Austin McAra. Austin’s youth brings a simple freshness to the play in that we all can learn from the straightforward honesty of a child. Austin’s extensive background in dance gives him a sense of security on stage, which we all appreciate.

This five-person troupe is sure to delight Cranbrook audiences.

Waiting for Godot plays at Key City Theatre January 21-24 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and are available at the Box Office 250-426-7006 and online at www.keycitytheatre.com

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