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Vital symbiosis : establishing the theatrical tradition of Samuel Beckett

Dekker, Elizabeth Meyer

Abstract Details

2004, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Theatre.

Throughout his life, and since his death in 1989, Samuel Beckett has maintained the somewhat troubling reputation of being a tyrannical arch-controller of his work. This reputation resulted from almost saturation coverage in the international press of two or three major cases. The truth of his position in writing, adapting and directing his works is more complex than this caricature suggests, and included more than one major player throughout his productive career. In this work, I have sought to discover the drive behind the other key players committed to producing the definitive versions of his plays, director Alan Schneider and actor Billie Whitelaw, and to reconsider the tyrannical reputation behind the playwright.

Samuel Beckett certainly believed that the text of the playwright should be respected by a director. He also strongly believed that this fidelity should extend to the stage directions, particularly when they were carefully planned as his were. However, he still believed this left the director with plenty of freedom to maneuver.

Alan Schneider, an American director quickly rising to the pinnacle of Broadway, was committed to Beckett's works and collaborated with the playwright on each line, stage direction, and prop. This commitment, however unpopular his subservient director position might have seemed, provided the theatre world with an impressive collection of the definitive works of Beckett.

British actress Billie Whitelaw, considered by many to be Beckett's foremost interpreter, worked with Beckett to present his vision onstage. She trusted him completely and followed his direction without question. Whitelaw became Beckett's muse, as many of his shorter female plays were written with her mind. Since his death, she has dedicated her life to lecturing on his works, describing his creative process, and revealing anecdotes about the creative relationship between Beckett and his favorite actress.

Because of theatre luminaries such as Alan Schneider and Billie Whitelaw, we now have a clear vision of what Samuel Beckett intended with his pieces through vast documentation, correspondence, and photo evidence. We also have a personal explanation of why he was so adamant regarding the presentation of his works, which is in direct contrast to his reputation as a tyrannical dictator. Beckett's relationships with friends and colleagues were far more important than was originally understood, and resulted in many of his most celebrated plays and performances. He was not, as once believed, a controlling tyrant, but a firm visionary with an unyielding loyalty to his friends.

Alan Woods, Dr. (Advisor)
Joy Reilly, Dr. (Committee Member)
91 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dekker, E. M. (2004). Vital symbiosis : establishing the theatrical tradition of Samuel Beckett [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1282824844

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dekker, Elizabeth. Vital symbiosis : establishing the theatrical tradition of Samuel Beckett. 2004. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1282824844.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dekker, Elizabeth. "Vital symbiosis : establishing the theatrical tradition of Samuel Beckett." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1282824844

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)