KY+Theatricalism

Samuel Beckett was extremely specific in his descriptions for __Play.__ He detailed exactly what he wanted to happen throughout the performance, from the lighting to the exact timing of dialogue. However, the filmmaker was able to adapt the script and Beckett’s descriptions to better suit his vision while closely sticking to the original script.

In many respects, Beckett’s script and the film version of the performance were very similar. Beckett begins __Play__ with a detailed description of the set and the actors: “Front centre, touching one another, three identical gray urns about one yard high. From each a head protrudes, the neck held fast in the urn’s mouth…Faces so lost to age and aspect as to seem almost part of urns. But no masks.” In the film adaptation, the filmmaker stuck closely to this description. The three urns were identical and touching, and the actors were encased in the urns so that only their neck and head were exposed. The makeup done on each actor followed Beckett’s instruction as well – they were made to resemble the texture and color of the urns. There were no masks used. Beckett also instructs that the voices be toneless throughout, with faces impassive. He also demands a rapid tempo throughout. The filmmaker and the actors, too, utilized this, as their speech was incredibly fast, and their voices relayed no true emotion.

However, there were drastic differences between the written script and the film adaptation. Obviously, the play was written for live performance, while the film adaptation allowed for more elaborate editing and lighting. One key aspect of Beckett’s written script calls for the use of a spotlight. He says: “Their speech is provoked by a spotlight projected on faces alone. The transfer of light from one face to another is immediate. No blackout…the response to light is immediate.” In the film version though, no spotlight was utilized. Instead, there was a gray-ish cast to the entire set, and lighting emphasized no actor. In place of the spotlight, the filmmaker opted to switch the focus of the camera from actor to actor as their lines were delivered. The close ups of the actors allowed the viewer to discern more subtle movements by the actors, such as the flickering of their eyes, which would not have been noticed in a live performance. Lighting also differs in the setting. As Beckett describes: “The curtain rises on a stage in almost complete darkness. Urns just discernible.” However, in the film adaptation, the beginning of the film is not marked with darkness. In fact, the urns are very clear to the viewer, and the three seem to be in a strange, almost-cemetery like setting. Also, at the end of the play, Beckett details a blackout to signal the end of the performance. In the film adaptation, the camera pans out, and the audience member is able to see thousands upon thousands of urns with people inside – giving the film more of a archetypal meaning.


 * Features of Theatricalism**
 * Non-realistic – the actors are often dressed and depicted in ways that are highly nonrealistic and uncharacteristic of daily life. The audience members are constantly reminded that they are indeed audience members watching the artwork in progress in front of them.
 * Expressive movement – the actors move in ways that are highly unusual and expressive. Choreography is highly stylized.
 * Nonsensical – the concepts and images encountered in theatricalism are almost nonsensical and disturbing. They are anything but naturalistic and relatable.
 * Dramatic lighting – lighting is highly utilized on the stage to create an air of greater drama