HSPlay

Question 2. Consider the instructions that Beckett has given the performers in his script. In what ways have the performers in the film version modified the characters to suit this filmed version.

Beckett has instructed that the urns be touching each other. In the youtube scenes, the urns are quite far from each other. In Beckett's play, he does not specifically instruct that there only be these three urns, but I think it is basically implied, and, many urns are shown throughout the youtube version. Beckett also very specifically instructs that the order of the people should be: W2, M, W1. It may simply be from the mirrors inside of the camera to account for the swapped order, but it is still opposite of what is done in the actual play. While the makeup was very fascinating and well done in the youtube version, Beckett very specifically instructs that the faces should be lost to age (or old, as I took it). He also states that a spotlight should provoke the speech from the actors. Instead, the director of the youtube version does not change spotlights, but he changes angles from the camera. He focuses solely on the actor/actress speaking. The voices are supposed to remain toneless throughout the entire play, but, a few times, the actors/actresses in the youtube version change their tones to give emotion to the words. The curtain is supposed to rise to almost complete darkness (the urns are barely discernible). We open to an entire graveyard of urns in the youtube version. After the five seconds of darkness, there are supposed to be three faint spotlights on the faces. Still, we see a sea of urns in a graveyard. Their speach is largely unintelligible though, as Beckett had intended. The director of the youtube videos changed many aspects of Beckett's play to suit the needs of his version. Whether they are what Beckett wanted or not, the youtube version still got the main point across.