Samuel Beckett – The playwright who won the Nobel Prize.

Saturday 19 October 2013

Hey everyone! I just stopped by to share with you some curiosities about an author I just “met”. Actually he is one of the last modernist playwrights!

Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish novelist, playwright, theater director and poet who is consider one of the most important writers of the 20^th Century. Born in 1906, in Dublin, Beckett wasn’t only an excellent writer, he also was an amazing cricket player! Because of that he is the only Nobel Prize to be featured in “Wisden Cricketers' Almanack” (something like the bible of Cricket). Quite something, ah?

But that’s not why I want you to tell you about Beckett… In 1969 we won the Nobel Prize, something very rare for a playwright! This writer is known for something a bit odd and sometimes quite difficult to understand clearly, it is called “Theater of the Absurd”.

What is this “Theater of the Absurd”? Well, it is a very interesting form of play where, apparently, anything makes any sense! It’s something close to Dadaism but in a play… However, Beckett’s plays always have some hidden meaning that the viewer only understands at the end of the play. Until then, it’s a crazy ride, full of irrational dialogue and mysterious characters. The most famous play by Beckett is called “Waiting for Godot”, along with “Happy Days”, and it is consider the best play written in the 20th Century!

 Beckett was very specific about his wishes when it came to the way the actor should act when performing his plays, so in his plays we can find a ton of stage directions!

I actually never saw a play written by Beckett and I’m looking for to see one! For what I heard it is full of surprises, awkwardness and humor… What could be better, right? For now I will conform myself with the reading of “Waiting for Godot”, it will be a big challenge! I hope you enjoy this introduction to Beckett’s work, and like me, be interest in this man. I can’t wait to know more!

See you around!

Inês Ribas