Beckett Boy

Most love stories follow a familiar narrative. Boy meets girl, boy loves girl, then boys wins or loses girl. Samuel Beckett however, was known for turning common situations on their head. In First Love, Beckett writes a tale about a homeless man in love with a prostitute, and MDC Live!...

By Nidya Sarria

October 20, 2011

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Most love stories follow a familiar narrative. Boy meets girl, boy loves girl, then boys wins or loses girl. Samuel Beckett however, was known for turning common situations on their head. In First Love, Beckett writes a tale about a homeless man in love with a prostitute, and MDC Live! Performing Arts Series will kickstart its 21st season with a performance of the short story by Conor Lovett of the Gare St. Lazare Players, a well-known Irish theater company. "[First Love] is the seventh of nine Beckett prose pieces that we have put on stage," Lovett says. "Over the last 13 years, we have made an exploration, perhaps an excavation, of Beckett's non-theatre writings." Beckett was known for his tragicomedies, and First Love is no exception. In it, the protagonist believes that his love is a huge distraction from his efforts to isolate himself from all other human contact. Adaptations of Beckett's work for the stage are often compelling and funny, and Lovett's performances, in particular, are celebrated around the world. He is known as one of the foremost living interpreters of Beckett's work.
Fri., Oct. 14, 8 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 15, 8 p.m., 2011

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