By Candice J. Wanner

Recently, I had the chance to attend a rehearsal of Open Stage of Harrisburg’s next theatrical offering, Waiting for Godot (pronounced guh-doe, NOT go-dot). Godot made its world premiere at the Left Bank Theatre de Babylon in Paris on January 5, 1953, but was not originally a success. Word of mouth over time, however, eventually led to its being lauded as one of the finest pieces of existential writing ever produced.

Waiting for Godot is one of those rare pieces of what I term "onion" literature. Every time you look more closely at the piece, you peel away another layer only to reveal smaller, but more potent truths beneath. On the broad surface, the play is about two bums, Vladimir (played by Jim Lewis) and Estragon (portrayed by Steve Spiese), waiting by the side of the road for a person named Godot (hence the title). That seems simple enough, right? But, Godot’s continual delays, reported through the medium of a message boy (Julian Milner), begins to peel the layers away as the two men’s frustration and impatience begin to mount. The delays force the two very different men, who don’t really care for each other, to continue in the other’s presence. They attempt to remain polite and pass the slowly dragging time. It’s here the piece becomes a commentary upon social conventions and the inadequacies of small talk in such a situation. (Anyone who’s traveled by plane, train or bus and has had to sit beside a nosy, annoying seat-mate for a long, uncomfortable trip can certainly relate to the awkwardness of such an incident.)

Longer and longer pauses begin to develop between the two men as their store of incidental conversation runs dry and they slowly move deeper into more abstract ground such as the nature of thought. The conversational pauses start to take on a life of their own and eventually become as eloquently expressive as the dialogue while each man struggles to find a common topic of conversation in an almost free association forum of ideas where everything takes on existential meanings.

Sound deep enough for you yet? But, wait! Through talking with Dennis Hoerner, who is playing Lucky in this production, and Brian Schreffler who plays Pozzo, I was informed that many critics do not believe that Godot is a person at all, rather an ideal. Which leads us to remove another onion layer to view the characters not as real people, but as symbols. (Whew! Didn’t know that there was such meaning in two guys waiting by the side of the road, did you?)

Jim Lewis is a natural playing Vladimir although he stated that he has found the role more physically challenging than he anticipated. He doesn’t think of himself as a physical comedian, but he’s enjoying the role very much. His wonderfully mobile expression allows you to see everything that crosses his characters’ mind as he fumbles for something to say to his unwanted companion. And, despite Jim’s misgivings, he has no trouble handling the more physical antics that arrive later in the show.

Brian Schreffler is a commanding Pozzo and leads around a thoroughly believable Dennis Hoerner as Lucky. The other male lead, Steve Spiese, was not at the rehearsal I attended, but Don Alsedek, Artistic Director, feels that his quality is on a level with the other actors and is highly pleased with the way the rehearsals have been progressing.

Waiting for Godot opens January 30th and runs through February 22nd. It is an extremely interesting piece of theater that will appeal to those looking for something a little more intellectually stimulating than a light comedy or musical. The cast is good, the direction interesting and the piece itself wonderfully intriguing. I highly recommend it. Tickets can be obtained by calling Open Stage at 232-OPEN.

Love Letters, The Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg’s next offering, is as atypical in its way as Waiting for Godot. It isn’t a show at all, per se, for it isn’t staged. There isn’t any movement or music or lighting tricks or even smoke machines. Love Letters is presented as a reading of the kind that playwrights use to introduce new works. The actors sit on stage and read from the script, existing in their own worlds not even looking at each other until the show’s culmination. Sound kinda strange? Let me be the first to tell you that Love Letters is far from the sterile, unlively piece of theater you may be imagining.

Love Letters consists of the reading of letters that are exchanged between two people from the time they meet in second grade until the conclusion of their story several decades later. And, yes, the letters are about love. But, not just physical love, although that is certainly present. Love Letters is also about the enduring love between two very different people who lead two very different lives. It’s about how they can still reach out to each other over time and distance to continue a relationship that is more real and meaningful to them than the ordinary relationships they’ve settled for in their personal lives.

Andrew, played by Chuck Brockman, and Melissa, played by Heather Jannetta, both come from wealthy families. Andrew continues in the traditions of his family and class by becoming very successful in everything he does, eventually winding up as a respectable senator. Melissa is an artist and unfortunately has the temperament to go along with the talent. She has difficulty balancing and controlling her life and eventually turns to drink when her nerves erode from to much stress. She is, however, the perfect foil for the utterly respectable and somewhat pompous Andrew. For while Andrew provides the one constant presence in a life spent on the fly, she provides the vital spark to illuminate his sometimes stodgy world and allows him to laugh at himself, a trait we all need.

Brockman, maybe best known for his portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof for Harrisburg Community Theater, brings a warmth, a presence and an almost smug self-satisfaction to the role which is totally in keeping with the character of Andrew. Heather Jannetta, seen recently in Whose Life Is It Anyway? at HCT, brings out the underlying emotions of unhappiness and low self-worth that is the core of the character of Melissa. Rapport is good between the two and the lines flow smoothly and evenly, overlapping the other in layers of thoughts and shared experiences.

The Big Band Salute to the Music That Won World War II
Friday, February 13 at 8 pm

Pavlov’s Clown
Created and performed by Rand Whipple
March 26 - April 11

The Cherry Orchard
by Anton Chekhov
April 24 - May 17