John Fisher (the man in the wheelchair), Thom Hunt (the Servant) and Troy Martin (man in the trash can) come together in the OSU theatre department’s presentation of “Endgame.” The play will be shown under the direction of Wilhlemina McLafferty tonight in the Jerry Davis Studio in Gunderson Hall.
The end of the world is no barrier to laughter in post-apocalyptic play
Written by Samuel Beckett and directed by Wilhelmina McLafferty, “Endgame” is a one-act absurdist play based in a post-apocalyptic world.
The small cast of four characters seems to be the only life left on earth. The world neither rains nor shines, the temperature and time are always “zero” and the sky is continuously gray.
Not even the characters are sure what has happened to their once-happy home, only that “something is taking its course.”
Surviving in a house near the sea, the three men and a woman make an unusual family. Each character has a specific problematic characteristic.
Hamm, played by John Fisher, is an older man who is blind and cannot stand.
Hamm is confined to a homemade wheelchair and is depicted as the master of the group. He is a depressed man who dreams of what he cannot have.
“Hamm is holding on to the false hope that the world will continue to go on,” Fisher said. “But it won’t. He is very bitter.”
Hamm fears loneliness and death. The background story of the play is revealed through Hamm’s “stories.”
Clov, played by Thom Hunt, has an injured leg and is forced to stand; he cannot sit.
Clov is the youngest of the characters and is shown as a servant to Hamm, who demands that he constantly look out the window.
Clov is pale, with no hair and dirty clothes, yet he still carries the most hope. He expresses a desire to leave throughout the play.
“I believe that Clov finds light in everything,” Hunt said. “He is sad and lonely but still optimistic.”
Nagg, played by Troy Martin, and Nell, played by Julie Blaylock, are Hamm’s parents. The couple live in large trash cans and seem to be oblivious to the outside world.
“Nagg is holding on to something that isn’t there,” Martin said. “He is held back.”
Nagg and Nell are stuck inside the memories of their past. The only thing they care about now is what they get to eat.
“Nell is obviously depressed,” Blaylock said. “She is in the place between living and just existing.”
Although these two odd characters seem to be “down in the dumps,” they give the play the majority of its comic relief.
Their humorous accents and pointless conversations raise laughter. Several humorous lines are given throughout the play by all of the characters to lighten the mood and give comic relief.
Few objects appear on stage, including a chair, a small platform, and two trash cans.
Wooden frames hanging from the ceiling depict the windows of the house.
The set’s color is composed of pale gray and red.
Although one might expect the lighting to be gray and dreary, the lighting designer surprises, giving the set bright lights of yellow and blue.
The minimalist setting adds to the broken spirits of the characters.
The use of few props gives the audience a feeling of distance and loneliness.
Everything, from casting to setting, fit the characters and script.
“This play is relatable to today’s audience,” Martin said.
The play will continue to show through Sunday in the Jerry Davis Studio Theatre in Gunderson Hall.
A discussion session will be held after Friday night’s performance; all are invited to attend.
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