Beckett in Benghazi starts with the introductory scene from playwright Samuel Beckett’s Endgame. It seems like a serious, dramatic effort at first, until one of the actors breaks out of his role and forgets his lines. The tired cast is rehearsing for their roles in Endgame with little effort and passion.
The show centers on a theater company, comprised of four zany and self-absorbed young actors, prepare for their roles for opening day, which is only days away. Nerves and tensions are already high and only exacerbated when their director overhauls the entire production due to the current state of global affairs as she attempts to adapt the tragedy somehow into Beckett’s Endgame. The day is September 11, 2012. Armed military groups have attacked the United States diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya.
With this heavy news, the theatre troupe is emotionally shaken and begins having an open dialogue on politics and current affairs in an attempt to make sense of what has happened. This is one of the play’s strongest highlights. It occurs during a brainstorming session where the theater troupe prepares for a hefty conversation on the impact of what has just occurred halfway around the world. As the discourse unravels, so do each and every cast member’s judgments, beliefs and biases.
While the play is earnest in its attempt to engage viewers in a meaningful dialogue about politics and current affairs, its execution is poor. Questions like, “what are the implications of war?” and “how does terrorism and fear create a culture of fear?” are thrown around asking for careful rumination and dissection. Yet these substantial questions are taken seriously for a bit, and then discarded as an afterthought. The segues are also confusing and lack coherency moving from jovial dance scenes and then to somber dialogues. The result is an inconsistent play with an erratic mood that just doesn’t make sense.
More than anything, Beckett in Benghazi is about the state of the nation, reflecting a culture of apathy and blind consumerism. The cast members of the play are young, passionate actors who lack interest in politics because it doesn’t affect them. Furthermore, the director utilizes this tragedy in hopes of increasing ticket sales, which eventually result in sold out shows for the entire season. Samuel Beckett’s Endgame now becomes a modern adaptation of the Benghazi attack. Hamm and Clov are now insurgents while Nagg and Nell are US soldiers captured in the midst of the unfortunate events. If it sounds preposterous, it’s because it is.
For a show created with interviews with veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, it fails to portray any semblance of truth and authenticity. It’s a tumultuous ride where the show meanders along the lines of spoof, satire and serious drama. It’s not that the laughs aren’t worthwhile because they are. The cast is wildly fun and exudes a sense of naiveté and apathy that many viewers can relate to. While a terrible tragedy has occurred, they could care less about it because it doesn’t affect them. While the laughs come naturally, it never fully delves into its potential because of its uneven script. Beckett in Benghazi attempts to tackle substantial material in over two hours. It’s also a prolonged show that should have been tightly edited and ended long ago.
Beckett in Benghazi is playing from July 25 until August 10, 2013 at Under St. Marks Theatre.
