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Here's the whole story.... which is not for the birds!
Beckett Directs Beckett
Waiting for Godot
Produced by Mitchell Lifton and Jean-Pierre Cottet
Directed by Walter D. Asmus
English
Estragon: Lawrence Held
Vladimir: Bud Thorpe
Lucky: Alan Mandell
Pozzo: Rick Cluchey
The Boy: Louis Beckett Cluchey
French
Estragon: Jean-Francois Blamer
Vladimir: Rufus
Lucky: Roman Polanski
Pozzo: Jean-Pierre Jorris
L'enfant: Philippe Deschamps
Krapp's Last Tape
Produced by Mitchell Lifton
and Jean-Pierre Cottet
Directed by Walter D. Asmus
English
Krapp: Rick Cluchey
French
Krapp: Roland Bertin
Comments
In 1985, Beckett directed the San Quentin Players in three of his major works: Waiting for Godot, Krapp's Last Tape, and Endgame. Grouped under the title "Beckett Directs Beckett," the plays toured Europe and Asia to great acclaim. In Paris, they were later adapted for television by directors Walter Asmus and Alan Mandell, working with the assistance of Beckett himself. Originally airing on PBS, two versions of each play were produced, in English and French.
Recently, Mitchell Lifton -- a film professor at the University of Maryland -- has embraked on a project to bring these versions of Waiting for Godot and Krapp's Last Tape to DVD, complete with "digital annotations." Apmonia will use this space to keep visitors posted on Dr. Lifton's progress, reviewing the DVD when it finally comes out. Lifton also maintains a useful homepage on the project:
Beckett Directs Beckett -- The project's homepage contains details on the productions, stills, and video excerpts.
--Allen B. Ruch
4 March 2003
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