Samuel Beckett's
with George Brown
at Theatre Charlotte
Summer 2001
The handiwork of George Gray & Family is very much in evidence
throughout Happy Days and Krapp's Last Tape, the first
installment in the second season of Summer Stock at Theatre Charlotte. The
elder Gray directs both Samuel Beckett miniatures and stars in Krapp's weird
monologue.
Before delivering his last inelegant annual review to a trusty reel-to-reel
recorder, Krapp listens to a similar tape from 30 years before. So there are
lots of opportunities for clumsiness and subtle, silent comedy. Gray seems to
capture every significant detail in a textured performance worthy of
comparison with his award-winning rendition of the title role in Visiting
Mr. Green.
The preceding Happy Days is not quite so felicitous. Playing the
aging Winnie, a blithe spirit in deep denial as impending doom beckons, Ginger
Richardson begins her 70+ minutes of near-continuous monologue buried in sand
halfway up her chest. After a brief blackout, the burial consumes her
shoulders.
Such immobility presents a challenging acting predicament. Richardson would
probably achieve less tedious results if she indicated less with her face and
more with her voice. Sandra Gray's sand dune set accomplishes wonders on a
shoestring, and daughter Hallie's lighting is impeccable. *