Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham (“Amadeus”) stars in “Beckett Briefs” at the Irish Repertory Theatre.
This show is a collection of three short plays by Samuel Beckett, and it was expertly directed by Ciarán O’Reilly.
Aside from Abraham, the cast features Roger Dominic Casey, Kate Forbes, and Sarah Street.
These three diverse plays that are performed in Beckett Briefs are “Not I,” “Play,” and “Krapp’s Last Tape.”
‘Not I’
The show begins with “Not I,” which features a non-verbal woman (portrayed superbly by Sarah Street), abandoned by her parents at birth and resigned to an uneventful life, suddenly hears voices at the age of 70 and realizes it’s she who is speaking.
Street nails this monologue-heavy role, and is able to move the audience on an emotional level.
‘Play’
The follow-up “Play” is a bit odd and bizarre yet still entertaining… it features Roger Dominic Casey, Kate Forbes, and Sarah Street, where three heads are eternally together in the afterlife and locked in their urns.
These include a man, his wife, and his mistress as they open up about the dirty details of their love triangle. This segment of the show feels like they are in perennial purgatory.
‘Krapp’s Last Tape’
The highlight, of course, is “Krapp’s Last Tape,” where Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham stars as an unkempt older man, who lives in solitude, and is reflecting on his life with autobiographical recordings of his younger self. At the same time, he is eating bananas and attempting to make new entries.
For nearly three-quarters of an hour, Abraham commands the audience’s attention for the entire duration of this short play.
Abraham is not afraid to be raw and moving. He delivers a sublime acting performance that runs the gamut, and he proves to be a convincing storyteller.
The Verdict
Overall, “Beckett Briefs” is worth more than just a passing glance. It is captivating from start to finish. All of these short plays are able to introduce Samuel Beckett’s works to a new and younger generation of audiences.
For more information on “Beckett Briefs,” check out the official website.
