Waiting for Godot (White Light Festival)

See it if Hynes' stylish (& highly stylized) staging of 20th century classic accentuates comedic over stoic Impeccible performances from ensemble

Don't see it if Thankfully, due mostly to actors' craft the existential pathos of the melodrama is allowed to breathe amid all the physical highjinks

See it if you would like to see a better-than-decent account of the play that revolutionized post-World War II drama on both sides of the Atlantic.

Don't see it if you have no tolerance for performances that milk every bit of dramatic business for every lingering guffaw that might be found.

Also I am glad I saw this production of a revolutionary theater classic of the 2nd half of the 20th Century: Nothing I write hereafter should scare off prospective audience members. This accounting from Druid Theatre does, if nothing else, demonstrate clearly what sturdy structural bones the play has. And there’s lots to like locally. The set is handsome—though the rising moon in each act & the hyper-dramatic lighting that accompanies it feel far too self-important. The 1st part of Act 1 had no pace the night I saw it, & much of the exaggerated stage business felt like flailing. Once Pozzo & Lucky arrived, the production found its rhythm. Act 2 was particularly lovely in the long lyrical litanies that Didi & Gogo exchange throughout. How strong & beautiful the writing is in its details! A couple of lines feel like they strain a little too hard (see “lingeringly”). But what a towering work it remains, even in a production with flaws.... Read more Read less

See it if fan of Beckett, to hear it in Beckett's Irish, encounter a new staging, feel the frustration & boredom of the characters, confront darkness

Don't see it if not a Beckett fan, expect a plot & conventional characters, want action more than talk, want realistic setting, no patience for the unusual

See it if you want the quintessential, standard-bearing Waiting for Godot experience—especially if you’re bringing a new initiate. It’s the real deal.

Don't see it if No movie stars in this one. Real deal.

Also I saw this production on an earlier leg of its tour, not in NYC. I would have scored higher if I hadn’t seen Waiting for Godot done well several times already. It's a masterpiece. Production and cast are simply impeccable. Estragon makes me laugh.

That said, I've never seen a proscenium production of WfG where I didn't notice one or two audience members taking a snooze. It's just that kind of play. Nothing to be done.... Read more Read less

See it if want a new and and very funny take on an existential classic, wonderful Irish actors (a Druid production), slapstick humor

Don't see it if want a more natural relationship between Gogo & Didi, one less slapstick; don't like long plays (first act especially long)

Also I personally preferred the McKellen-Stewart version. I found that it was far more thought-provoking but less funny. Still this was very entertaining and definitely worth seeing.
Irish accents especially when the actors talk quickly can sometimes be a problem.... Read more Read less

See it if Beckett's classic performed by wonderful Irish actors from the Druid Theatre Company . The actors exhibit great dexterity and humor.

Don't see it if You are not a fan of Beckett's work. Even if you dislike this specific play, it is so well done and different from recent NYC productions.

See it if Master class.

Don't see it if No reason.

See it if you want to see some engaging Irish actors do a fresh take on a play you probably won't understand even if it's your fourth or fifth time!

Don't see it if you hate this play or Beckett in general so much that you don't even want to give it another try.

See it if you love theater. It is a classic and a wonderfully insightful production with splendid acting. The first act is slow but come back

Don't see it if you have little tolerance for the frustration so central to the theater of the absurd and the existential sense of impotence in the world

See it if How Beckett was meant to be done with specificity and stakes. The right balance between physical comedy and acting.

Don't see it if If you don’t like Beckett, I don’t think this will change your mind.

See it if A respectful, unsurprising version of Godot - which is no small accomplishment. Favorite performance: Aaron Monaghan, as Estragon.

Don't see it if Act I, the direction far too dull for me. Then Act II was delightful, thought-provoking, heart-breaking. Odd.

See it if You want to see a really all-around great production of Waiting for Godot.

Don't see it if You're looking to be entertained.

Also Look, I've read the play multiple times, studied it at length, and can "get" and appreciate the significance of it in terms of dramaturgy/literary value. But even this relatively zippy production still feels like it's nine hours long, and watching it feels more like an academic exercise than an enjoyable night at the theatre. That being said, if you've never seen the show live before or are looking to see it done well, I would highly recommend this production. It's really top-notch, and the acting/directorial choices are downright brilliant.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Absurdist plays. If you like plays that challenge you to find your own interpretation and meaning of the acts presented.

Don't see it if you aren’t fond of or haven’t in your life experience the theatre of the Absurd. It’s a challenging task to sit thru without an open mind

Also You must have an experience or at least an open mind to the world of the theatre of the absurd. Unless you know something about it, have read or watched it before, you might find it difficult to sit thru this play. Long pauses, words and dialogues that seem to have no meaning, actions that doesn’t go anywhere nor lead to something worthwhile or even have a purpose - these are the things that might be too difficult to appreciate when you are so used to plays that have a coherent narrative or plot. This is a beautiful production to a very important play.... Read more Read less

See it if You like hearing the words repeated with intelligence. Like visiting an old friend.

Don't see it if you're expected some kind of revelation. There's no relationship between the characters. Form without content. "Clever" line readings only.

See it if you are a fan of Beckett or of this play. A really good production, and I have seen a few.

Don't see it if you like straightforward, linear narrative.

See it if you haven't, you want to see good performances, you can take a dark show.

Don't see it if you don't want a humorous interpretation, you need plot, you are looking for a musical.

See it if like to watch slow drama plays

Don't see it if if you do not like slow plays

See it if You want some Beckett without the spoonful of medicine. Funny without trivializing the weighty issues

Don't see it if You like your Godot with celebrity actors. This is more in line with original intent than Sir Pat Stew & co’s comedy

See it if You've never seen the play before, and want to know what all the fuss is about, or why it's required reading for so many college students.

Don't see it if You go to the theater more for plot, grand theatrics and/or fun than for profundity.

Also Along with about three dozen people, I fled at intermission. I am seeing from some of the other comments here that Act II was far livelier than the first act. That's not good enough. I was on the front row and the people on either side of me were both nodding off in the first 30 minutes. I didn't hate it, but I've enjoyed other productions of this play much more, and I am starting to believe that this play is much better to read than to see. In fact, I will finish the night reading the second act.... Read more Read less

See it if A flawless production of this modern classic. Brilliant!

Don't see it if You don't like the exploration of the esoteric nature of the human condition.

Also Although this show has already come and gone. I had to score it because the Druid Theatre gifted us with this brilliant interpretation of Beckett. The Design, Direction, Acting, Staging was perfection. Utterly hilarious and simultaneously heartbreaking to watch the folly of the plight of human's trying to justify their existence. Keeping busy, doing nothing, and recalling the time that has passed by. Wonderful, utterly wonderful.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a fan of WfG and want to see a beautiful stylized setting of it with its original accent/diction

Don't see it if You don't like plays that make you examine your existence of if you need frequent action/plot movement

Also Like other reviewers have mentioned, Act I and Act II are vastly different in energy and direction, and as a result, a good number of people around me left during the intermission. This is a much more physical version of WfG with younger actors, lending the text more poignancy and applicability. It is a bit slow and indulgent, particularly in Act I, but this fortunately all disappears in a much more brisk and engaging Act II. Pozzo is played as more prim, undercutting his power and sadism (a negative in my book), but Lucky remains the ever amazing physical part that it is. The set and lighting are both emotionally striking, and it's easy to see why it's been brought around the world.... Read more Read less

See it if You never understood the show before. The Druid acting group gets it and shows the audience how to get it too.

Don't see it if It's a must see. They're not waiting for Godot. They like each other's company. And we do too.

See it if You want to see how this classic script is supposed to be done, with its layers of comedy and pathos well served.

Don't see it if You "go to the theater to be entertained," meaning mindlessly unchallenged. That's why there's "Alladin."

See it if You're ok with simple sets with few characters and a thought provoking plotline.

Don't see it if You like fast paced stories.

See it if You are a huge theatre nerd and yearn for a thought-provoking experience.

Don't see it if You prefer not to have an intense journey of reflection and confusion in place of entertainment.