Last week, No Strings Theatre Company performed their first night of Samuel Beckett’s one-act play “Endgame” directed by Bobbi Masters at the Black Box Theatre downtown.
Masters received her master’s degree in directing at Southern Illinois University and now teaches theater classes at New Mexico State University.
She started acting at a young age, but her teacher later encouraged her to take on other production roles. She attributes this vast experience to making her a better collaborator and director.
No stranger to Beckett, “Endgame” is Masters’ third time directing one of his plays.
“I honestly think it doesn’t get easier,” she said. “He is my favorite writer, but there’s just so much to un-dig in all his works.”
According to Beckett scholar Ruby Cohn, “Endgame” was Beckett's favorite play, and the first he chose to direct.
The play features four characters confined to an abandoned house in a post-apocalyptic world. It focuses mainly on Hamm, a blind and paralyzed older man in constant need of control and attention, and his servant, Clov, who can’t seem to escape Hamm’s dependence. Much like Beckett’s other works, “Endgame” is meant to be a comedic yet philosophical reflection on human existence.
“Beckett for actors is super hard. It’s so difficult and he’s not doing them any favors,” Masters said with a laugh.
She said Beckett tends to constrict the movement of his actors in his plays, shifting the focus to language. Due to this, “Endgame” is filled with long monologues, which Masters said is comparable to running a marathon for actors.
“It’s just so difficult, and they make it look easy,” Masters said, praising the ensemble cast.
Masters describes her interpretation of the production, which took around 30 rehearsals to prepare for, as a “ghostly vaudeville set in a post-apocalyptic purgatory.”
For those wondering what that means, Masters encourages buying tickets for answers.
“[Opening] night we had our first audience and there were gasps,” Masters said. “That’s exactly what I wanted. I want people to be surprised, and I think Beckett does, too.”
This will be their final production of the season and ticket prices range from $12 - $18.
The performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees on June 22 and June 29 at 2:30 p.m., and one performance Thursday June 26 at 7 p.m.
