NWCTC to Present WAITING FOR GODOT

The newly minted Northwest Classical Theatre Collaborative is hard at work on an inspired production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

"The idea for the new company was really born in the dressing room of the 2013 production of Richard III," says Grant Byington, the Executive Director of the newly formed theatre collaborative. "We knew Grant Turner was moving to eastern Oregon, and the company would be in some kind of transition. We just didn't know what that transition would be." That transition began when Turner knew his time in Portland was limited. "I kept thinking, we have all these assets, and a stellar reputation in the community. There should be a way to leverage those intangibles into a new kind of collaborative theatre experience. We also had begun working with other theatre companies to co-produce, and those ideas incubated for a year or so." Byington adds. As NWCTC went on to produce their last season as a resident acting company, the seeds were planted to produce a long-awaited production of Waiting For Godot under a new name, with a new mission statement. "Waiting For Godot is a play I've always wanted to take a swing at since I was play Lucky in a production more than 25 years ago. When I mentioned it to Pat Patton (who was playing Hastings in R3) his eyes lit up," Byington adds.

Largely regarded as the origination of Absurdist Theatre, Waiting For Godot set a new standard for post-WWII drama. The story is basic: two friends wait in vain for a man they've never met. Time passes. They are visited by a stranger, his servant and a boy. Godot never comes. Frequently described as "a play in which nothing happens, twice" early productions were met with widely varying degrees of criticism. "People either love this play, or hate this play," director Patton has said. "But most people, once they accept the absurdist construct, settle in and listen to the language, which is at times poetic, vaudevillian and circular."

The collaborative cast and crew include some of Portland's finest talent, featuring Don Alder (Estragon) Grant Byington (Vladimir), Todd Hermanson (Pozzo), Steve Vanderzee (Lucky), and Eric Lyness (the Boy). The production crew is equally impressive. Pat Patton directs, and the production design is by Tim Stapleton. Costumes are designed by Jessica Bobillot. Jeff Forbes designed the lights, and sound is designed by Sharath Patel.

Northwest Classical Theatre Collaborative presents

Waiting For Godot

By Samuel Beckett
Directed by Pat Patton
September 11 to October 11, 2015
At the Shoebox Theatre 2110 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Evening performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30, matinees Sundays at 2:00.

Tickets are $25 for general admission, $22 for students and seniors, available online at www.nwctc.org, or by emailing info@nwctc.org.

Waiting For Godot is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Sponsored by Ronni Lacroute, Willakenzie Estate Winery

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