Wiest’s performance was like what people told me about Yo Yo Ma playing Bach solo at the Bowl: two hours of utter exposure, utter nakedness, reckless risk for a “star”. But she illuminated the text, getting laughs from the running gag of the toothbrush, and demonstrating how all of Beckett’s intricate stage instructions can not only be realized, but are significant, moving, and important. And the thrill of hearing and seeing such a skilled craftsperson shift from whining to nagging to needling to exclaiming in exasperation to reaching out in tenderness. And the refrains: sudden realization of hopelessness, followed by determination to cheer herself up.
The text is music in which Winnie returns again and again to favorite motifs: “… in the old style …”, “… I always say …”, “… that’s what I find so wonderful …”, ….
Yes it’s a joke, a stunt. Beckett is having a laugh. But it also serves a purpose. Setting Winnie in a mound of dirt instead of a naturalistic rendered rest home keeps attention focused on the heart of the matter. In a presentation playing the realism game, the audience could resist Winnie’s account of herself by disputing her situation. “She could have avoided this all if she had exercised, saved more money, had children to take care of her, etc.” Those are all dodges, ways the audience could avoid the real situation: Winnie’s boredom, helplessness, and hopelessness.
Also to maintain focus, Beckett doesn’t permit Winnie to live entirely in memories, in nostalgia. We are given a few hints, bare phrases, but they are not dwelt on. Any other playwright would have made all of Winnie’s speeches vivid recollections of the good old days. Not here. The old times are merely noted. The memories are frayed to single threads.
There seems to be a competition going on up at Bunker Hill. The Taper audience managed to misbehave even worse than Disney’s: cell phones ringing, manaical program-rattling, the old ladies next to me chattering away during the performance (Wiest was three yards away), people leaving their seats and arriving during the performance, etc.