American Conservatory Theater: Samuel Beckett's Endgame and Play

Endgame and Play

May 9–June 3, 2012

Two Extraordinary Plays.
One Incredible Event.

by Samuel Beckett
Directed by Carey Perloff

Running time: Play runs 22 minutes and will be followed by a 15-minute intermission. Endgame runs 90 minutes. Late seating for Play will be at the discretion of theater management.

Tony Award winner Bill Irwin stars in Beckett's iconic dark comedy

Join us for a thrilling theatrical event—two powerful and absurd dark comedies from master playwright Samuel Beckett. In Endgame, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin takes on the role of Hamm, who is trapped between life and death with his young servant, Clov. Together they engage in a chess match of wits in this vivid exploration of the end of life. This iconic work will be presented together with Beckett's rarely performed one-act Play, a brief comic tour de force about marriage and infidelity, featuring members of A.C.T.'s core acting company. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, Endgame and Play conjure a fiercely funny and emotionally gripping world that will haunt you long after you leave the theater.

"[Endgame is] monstrously funny . . . [with] striking vision." —The New York Times

"[Play is] a dry martini of a marital-infidelity postmortem, as slickly constructed as it is slyly engrossing and funny." —San Francisco Chronicle

"Smartly cast, sensitively staged, and glisteningly faithful to the author's intentions. Carey Perloff has done herself and her company proud. . . . Gabriel's stiff-legged, sweetly patient and unexpectedly youthful Clov (a nice touch) is one of the finest interpretations of a Beckett role that I've had the privilege to see." —The Wall Street Journal

"Taut, compelling presentations . . . [Irwin and Gabriel] dispatch their roles with poignancy, strength and appropriate ridiculousness." —The Huffington Post

"Endgame is an undisputed 20th-century masterpiece . . . a symphony of alienation and despair" —San Jose Mercury News

"Potent . . . some of [Beckett's] finest work" —sfist

"[Irwin] can turn something as simple as sitting on a stone or wiping his shoe into a poetic comedy" —San Francisco Chronicle

InterACT Events
Splashy parties, lively discussions, and more—all free with your ticket.*

Carey Perloff Speaks at Grace Cathedral
May 13, 9:30 a.m.
Join us for "Nothing is Funnier Than Unhappiness: Samuel Beckett's Meditations on Life and Death," a conversation with A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and the Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw, Dean of Grace Cathedral. Suggested donation: $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Grace Cathedral is located at 1100 California Street, San Francisco.

Prologue
May 15, 5:30 p.m.
Get inside the artistic process at this lively preshow discussion with the director and A.C.T. artistic staff.

Theater on the Couch
May 18, 8 p.m.
Led by Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.

Audience Exchanges
May 22, 7 p.m.
May 27, 2 p.m.
June 3, 2 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors, moderated by a member of the A.C.T. artistic staff.

Killing My Lobster Plays With Beckett
May 24, 8 p.m.
San Francisco's premiere sketch comedy troupe offers an original, Beckett-inspired performance following the show. Visit the Killing My Lobster tab for more information.

OUT with A.C.T.
May 30, 8 p.m.
The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for information about how to subscribe to OUT nights throughout the season.

PlayTime New!
June 2, 2 p.m.
Get hands-on with the art of theater with the artists who make it happen at this interactive workshop. Join us before the show as Scenic Design Associate Kevin Macpherson discusses how the set and props are incorporated into the rehearsal process to help actors develop their characters and performances. Participants will be able to climb inside the trashcans that were used during rehearsals for Endgame to experience what it was like for the actors to rehearse. Doors open at 12:45 p.m.; the workshop will begin promptly at 1 p.m.

*Most events are free for ticket holders. Please note that performance times vary.

Killing My Lobster Plays With Beckett—One Night Only!
SF's premiere sketch comedy troupe offers original Beckett-inspired performance

Join us following the 8 p.m. performance on Thursday, May 24, as Killing My Lobster presents a hilarious spin on the themes and characters of some of Beckett's most famous works, from Endgame and Play to Waiting for Godot. The performance will begin 15 minutes after the final curtain (approximately 10:15 p.m.). Possible sketches include "Hunger End Games," "Cooking with Clov," and a speed-dating sketch featuring Beckett characters.

We're thrilled to announce that due to overwhelming demand, we've moved Thursday night's one-night-only Killing My Lobster performance to the mainstage! The performance will begin at approximately 10:30 p.m. and seating in the theater will be by general admission.

Thanks to everyone who entered our Samuel Beckett Design Contest!

We received dozens of your incredible submissions, and we've posted a few of them below!

Click to enlarge.

Cast

Endgame

Nick Gabriel
(Clov)

Bill Irwin
(Hamm)

Alexander Crowther
(Understudy)

Giles Havergal
(Nagg)

Barbara Oliver
(Nell)

Charles Dean
(Understudy)

Play

René Augesen
(W1)

Annie Purcell
(W2)

Anthony Fusco
(M)

Jessica Kitchens
(Understudy)

Creative Team
Samuel Beckett (Playwright)
Carey Perloff (Director)
Daniel Ostling (Scenic Design)
Candice Donnelly (Costume Design)
Alexander V. Nichols (Lighting Design)
Fabian Obispo (Sound Design)
Michael Paller (Dramaturg)
Janet Foster, CSA (Casting Director)
Elisa Guthertz (Stage Manager
Megan Q. Sada (Assistant Stage Manager)

Insight into the Play, the Playwright, and the Production

Each entertaining and informative issue of Words on Plays, A.C.T.'s in-depth performance guide series, contains a synopsis, advance program notes, study questions, and additional background information about the historical and cultural context of the play.

Words on Plays is available for purchase in the lobby of the theater during performances or online ($12 each + postage and handling or $5 each for the electronic edition). For more information about how to subscribe to a full or partial season, click here.

Words on Plays prepared by
Elizabeth Brodersen, Director of Education
Dan Rubin, Publications Manager
Michael Paller, Resident Dramaturg
Emily Hoffman, Publications and Dramaturgy Associate
Emily Means, Education and Publications Fellow
Kate Goldstein, Artistic Fellow

Table of Contents

1.	Characters, Casts, and Synopses of Play and Endgame
3.	Director's Remarks by Carey Perloff
5.	Absent, Always: An Interview with Actor Bill Irwin by Emily Hoffman
10.	Essential Choices: An Interview with Scenic Designer Dan Ostling by Emily Hoffman
15.	"You Must Go On": A Brief Biography of Samuel Beckett by Elizabeth Brodersen
20.	"In Such a Place, and in Such a World" by Michael Paller
24.	On Play by Marjorie Perloff
28.	Beckett's Stages by Emily Hoffman
35.	Endgame's Reception by Emily Hoffman
35.	Beckett's Thoughts on Endgame
40.	Endgame Glossary
44.	Questions to Consider / For Further Information . . .