Act Without Words

Play (Script), 1957

Premise - A one man, one act, mimed stage show without any dialogue. A man finds himself in the desert with other objects (i.e. a tree, a cube, and a jug of water), lowered by ropes onto the stage in various combinations. The man finds himself always just out of reach of the water.

Review - This was a short (maybe 2-3 page?) "script" in the back of Endgame, which I read for Daniel Radcliffe, despite not really being a Beckett fan. Since it was so short, I thought I should read this as well. I speed-read through it once, got confused because I had no idea what a carafe was, googled the premise, realized it was actually quite clever, and gave it a second, more thorough the second time around.  (PS, a carafe is a jug. In this case, it contained water, which is the whole point of the freakin' act... the man in the desert is trying to get to the water).

The play is reminiscent of the myth of Sisyphus (kind of) in that a man keeps trying over and over again to get what he wants and then is forced to start over. It's different, however, in that the man is trying different techniques every time, and that eventually he gives up. Sisyphus theoretically would go on forever. This man has something that Sisyphus does not have, which is learned helplessness. This is not necessarily a good thing, because the moment the man gives up, the water becomes in reach. If only he had kept trying at his seemingly fruitless efforts just a little bit longer, then maybe he would have gotten it. Or, perhaps, the only reason the water became in reach is because he stopped trying to reach for it.

It's a clever idea that is immensely physical (obviously, as there is no dialogue). According to the stage direction, the man is thrown around the stage, different ropes are flying everywhere - it's a real theatrical endeavor to put together! And, I imagine if I had watched it instead of read it, I might have had a much stronger impression. But unfortunately, reading it alone without actually seeing the man's despair was not very sufficient, and not how this piece was intended to be consumed. That's on me, not the play, so my rating is biased against it. It was a quick, enjoyable read though. (40/100)

Quote - HA well that's not applicable

What to read/watch for - I think the point is that you're supposed to watch this and not read it. Unfortunately I have not done that. (Maybe there's something on YouTube?)

If you liked this play, I'd recommend The Myth of Sisyphus, except that recommendation is theoretical because I've never actually read it.

Written by Samuel Beckett
Script published by Grove Press