Waiting for Godot at San Quentin

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8 жыл бұрын

This is part of a documentary made at the set up of a theater production, played by prisoners, at San Quentin State Prison in California. The play was open to the public and premiered 1988.
This unique video has not been on show before.
Director John Reilly
Produced by John Reilly and Global Village for the Beckett Project
Vladimir: Donald James
Estragon: Reginald Wilson
Pozzo: Spoon Jackson
Director: Jan Jönsson (Sweden)
""Godot in San Quentin" (1987) documents the production of "Waiting for Godot" by a cast of inmates from San Quentin Prison. Producer and director John Reilly and a crew spent four weeks at the maximum-security facility; rehearsal and performance sequences are intercut with footage of daily prison life and discussions with the principal characters.
Reilly has said that the inmates "do not `act' because they are not trained actors, but they feel the parts because they have lived the lives of Beckett's characters."
The Chicago Tribune articles.chicagotribune.com/19...
Read the story about the theater production from the point of view of one of the actors Spoon Jackson in: "By Heart, Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives" by Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson
Get it here: www.newvillagepress.net/book/?...

Пікірлер: 14

@noramasterson712 5 жыл бұрын

I am a huge supporter of Theatre in Prison, particularly San Quentin, where my late husband, Rick Cluchey started the San Quentin Drama Workshop I 1961. Let's not forget the history of "Godot" at SQ, where the San Francisco Actor's Workshop stage a production in 1957, met with huge applause by an audience of 4,000 men. Or, the production staged by the SQDW actors in 1961, and the seven productions of Beckett plays that Rick acted in over the next two years at San Quentin....

@sonnygo9912 3 жыл бұрын

Your husband was a great interpreter of Beckett, Nora. With his kind of talent and the life he led you have every reason to be proud of him. I’m a huge fan of his work. God bless his soul and your family. Happy thanksgiving 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

@davidlean1060 6 жыл бұрын

Gogo: I can't go on like this Didi: that's what you think.. Seriously, this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! A middle class Protestant from Dublin writes a play that inmates at a Californian prison just 'get'. It's bloody marvelous!

@Fisarmonica23 2 жыл бұрын

I was a guest that day, seated in the bleachers. A riveting performance by the inmates.

@VictorFinnigan 3 жыл бұрын

Once i played the Boy, and Jan Jönson played Gogo and Per Wiklund Didi. The play, att Statens Scenskola, in Filmstaden, in Råsunda, Stockholm, Sweden, was directed by Göran Sarring. Instead of having four actors, Estagon, Vladimir, Pozzo and Lucky, they had made a movie which was showed in the fond, at the same time as Estragon and Vladimir played against (themselves) Pozzo and Lucky. Many years later, at a subwaycar, Janne told me about another movie inspired from your works at St Quentin, with the same director as Bob Dylan, once. I also know Anja, who told me about your poetry.

@claytonclark4310 7 жыл бұрын

Heard about this performance years ago. and really appreciate the chance to finally see some it. I heard great things about it, but never imagined the performances could be as compelling as what is highlighted here. I'll never be able to take the Hamster Godot seriously again. Thanks for posting