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The novelty of Samuel Becketts vision of performance art continues to affect the American scene. Postmodernism is apparent in the authors works, which are thoughtful and complicated in their writing, acting, lighting, and other aspects (McNaughton, 2018). Becketts Come and Go is a short play with only a few lines of conversation, although it incorporates much movement and possesses numerous unresolved implications. The authors Play, on the other hand, is a one-act drama. However, it also poses questions that the audience does not know and will not learn. Such an effect is reached through specific elements of the acts production and performance. Come and Go and Play are two works with clear similarities in their connection between setting, light, costumes, and minimalistic props, although they differ in the way some of these aspects affect each performance.
In both theatricals, setting instructions are specific and comprehensive, as is usual for Beckett. Come and Go and Play designs and staging contain many accurate numerical details in line recitations, positioning, and movement, or lack of it. Due to the intricate choreography in Come and Go, Beckett even provided a diagram showing where each character would be throughout the performance (Beckett, 2010a).
In my understanding, the symbolism is apparent in this play, as the rings made by the womens intertwined hands form an infinity symbol after the actors complete their choreography. In addition, throughout the piece, each lady does a different set of the same fundamental gestures, each involving a meticulously realized escape and reenter, which sets the stage for the continuing circle (Beckett, 2010a). In turn, Play uses a different approach to create a similar effect. In this play, Beckett does not move the characters at all, yet I think that their connection to eternity is made via the setting itself. The symbolism associated with this subject is done via the imagery of Limbo, where seemingly dead people construct their narrative (Beckett, 2010b). The setting aspects add crucial meaning to both discussed works.
I understand that the secrecy that the actors keep is also essential for both plays, as it complements the open-ended nature of Becketts works. During Come and Go, the most sensational information that is whispered is unheard by the audience (Beckett, 2010a). Beckett creates more mystery and a sense of ongoing interaction between the trio by hiding their secrets behind the performance.
However, the difference in the role of secrecy between plays is apparent as well. The stage directions for Come and Go compel the viewer to focus on the movements on stage rather than the words being uttered. In turn, Play revolves around the topic of secrets through its application of the light that compels characters to reveal the information they did not voice yet. Moreover, the conversation in Play is frequently reduced to noise or sound (Beckett, 2010b). As a result, not only are they unable to grasp what the others are saying, but the audience is also unable to understand or decode anything fully.
The costumes give an important note regarding the symbolism of Becketts works. Come and Goes trio is described to be wearing a matching set of clothes that are nondescript aside from their color (Beckett, 2010a). This depersonalization is paramount for the meaning of the performance, where personalities are not created with the intention of representing a particular individual. Play also includes three characters, all of whom are dressed in matching gray urns (Beckett, 2010b). Their faces deteriorated to the point that they appeared to be part of their decor. Such an expression of unimportance is critical for the point that Beckett attempts to deliver through his works.
The lighting in both plays creates a unique scene that directs the audiences attention. The quality of the lighting in Come and Go isolates the three ladies and obscures individual details, resulting in the sense of likeness between the individuals constituting the trio (Beckett, 2010a). The rest of the scene is supposed to be void of any light to make the actors appear to be floating out and back into the dialogue. In Play, Beckett, on the other hand, for the first time, makes light a dynamic, moveable element of performance. This element becomes a force of inquiry, while the darkness turns into a tool for silencing a person (Davies, 2008). Such an approach to narration through visual cues given by a unique source of information gives the audience a sense of direction, even with static figures.
The stage props in both plays are minimalistic and do not take the spotlight away from the action. In Play, the urns from which the performers heads protrude are the only parts of the stage set (Beckett, 2010b). The only other prop that adds to the picture is the light itself, which possesses a distinct role itself by being a silent interrogator. It is essential that the decorations prevent the characters from moving or leaving the stage, as this notion sets the narrative into a forced route where people can not escape their past (McNaughton, 2018). The spotlights wild rotation and fast motions set the pace for the performance.
At the same time, Come and Go has a different set of props, yet they serve a shared purpose. The bench is the only prop that is highlighted on stage, giving it the appearance of a single item in the world. In my opinion, the lack of details around symbolizes nothingness and takes the meaning away from the surroundings. The emptiness of reason in these peoples quasi-existence is the most fundamental message they can communicate, and their absence of genuine relationships is a judgment by the play on the failure of relationships in modern life.
In conclusion, Samuel Beckett employs various aspects of production and performance in the plays Come and Go and Play to bring out the similarities and differences between them. As both works include three characters, they share a topic of interrelationship that is apparent through performance. The audience has the freedom to interpret different aspects of each theatrical style through setting props, costumes, and lighting, all of which complement the stories in a particular way.
For example, costumes serve as a way to create nondescript personalities that are not meant to represent a particular individual, while lighting prioritizes the interacting actors. Props are meant to either direct the attention or suggest a tone of the situation. However, clear differences between the acts are portrayed through other aspects. The meaning of their conversations differs through the highlighted figures, where Play presents a set of monologues, while Come and Go focuses on dialogues. Moreover, the movement has a paramount meaning in Come and Go, while Play merely lacks any of it and works with light to achieve the same effect.
References
Beckett, S. (2010). Come and go. In The selected works of Samuel Beckett (Vol. III) (pp. 379384). Grove Press.
Beckett, S. (2010). Play. In The selected works of Samuel Beckett (Vol. III) (pp. 349364). Grove Press.
Davies, M. (2008). Someone is looking at me still : The audience-creature relationship in the theater plays of Samuel Beckett. Texas Studies in Literature and Language, 51(1), 7693. Web.
McNaughton, J. (2018). Samuel Beckett and the politics of the aftermath. Oxford University Press.
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