Monica Horan (photo by Grettel Cortes)
Reviewed by Ella Rodríguez
Independent Shakespeare Company
Closed
This review is part of the Stage Raw/Unusual Suspects Youth Journalism Fellowship
The recently-closed performance of Happy Days by Samuel Beckett, directed by Melissa Chalsma and performed by Independent Shakespeare Company, was a moving examination of existential dread and the human condition.
Happy Days is a drama, unfolding in a desolate setting, that follows the main character Winnie played by Monica Horan. Winnie is a woman whom we first find buried up to her waist in a mound, and she struggles to make sense of her boring life. Beckett skillfully conveys his profound view on the struggle to find purpose in life amid sorrow, through Winnie’s unfailing optimism and perseverance. A second character appears occasionally, Winnie’s husband, Willie (Timothy Durkin), who crawls around the mound, mostly grunting and signaling, when he makes any effort at all.
The play was brought to life by director Chalsma with dazzling lighting and passionate performances. Paige Hathaway’s sparse set design, a cloth mound against a backdrop of a desert landscape, highlighted the ideas of futility and solitude while skillfully capturing the misery of Winnie’s surroundings. The performers delivered riveting performances, giving the characters’ inner agony more dimension with each little gesture and expression.
The show deftly struck a mix between deeply depressing and humorous moments, inspiring audience members to laugh as well as reflect. Independent Shakespeare Company’s rendition added its own distinct artistic flair to the play while remaining faithful to Beckett’s original intent.
I found the production to be a profoundly moving and artistically striking event, inspiring me to consider the meaning of life and the pursuit of happiness.
Independent Shakespeare Co., 3191 Casitas Ave., Atwater; Closed.
