Godot Came

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

• Godot Came
• Betsuyaku Minoru Translated by John K. Gillespie

Characters:

• Godot

• Pozzo

• Lucky

• Estragon

• Vladimir

• Woman 1

• Woman 2

• Woman 3

• Woman 4

• Boy

Scene One

A telephone pole. Just to stage left a bench and bus stop sign. No other props. Early evening. Woman 1 enters stage right, carrying a basket full of knitting materials, sees the bus stop sign, looks at her wristwatch, then disappears stage left. Estragon appears stage left, boot on one foot only, hops along on that foot, the other boot dangling from his hand, and hunkers down next to the telephone pole. He turns the boot upside down, empties grime from it, and attempts to put it on. [End Page 251]

Estragon:

This one’s not right! (Puts the boot down, grabs the boot he’s wearing) I’ll take this one off . . . .

Woman 2 and Woman 3 emerge stage right, carrying folding chairs and cardboard box on top of a small office desk and set it all down.

Woman 2:

Here . . . ?

Woman 3:

Why not? (Looks at Estragon) Let’s not stop here . . . .

Woman 2:

Okay . . . .

Woman 2 and Woman 3 exit stage left, taking the desk and other things with them.

Estragon:

(Tiring from trying to remove his boot) Nothing to be done . . . . Or maybe not . . . . (Picks up the other boot) This one here’s the one I’m trying to put on . . . .

Vladimir emerges stage left, carrying a beat-up toy horn, and toots it near Estragon’s ear.

Estragon:

(Startled, jumps up) Stop, what th’ . . . ?

Vladimir:

Relax, it’s nothing at all. Just asking if you’re still here . . . . Of course, it was after I said, hey, Estragon, what’s up!

Estragon:

It’s been a bit. Been here a while . . . (Sits down again to the matter of his boot) This damn . . . .

Vladimir:

(Toots horn)

Estragon:

(Scoots away) I said stop it . . . !

Vladimir:

This just now, it means I’m glad to see you back . . . I mean, um . . . . (Toots horn again)

Estragon:

Cut it out, you jerk!

Vladimir:

I mean, um, I thought you were gone forever . . . .

Estragon:

Can’t you just talk like usual . . . ?

Vladimir:

Okay, got it. So, I’m lending this to you (holds out his horn) . . . when you got something you want to say, just blow it.

Estragon:

Blow it . . . ? (Takes horn)

Vladimir:

Go ahead, do it, you’ll see! And me too, I’ll figure out what you’re saying . . . .

Estragon:

(Toots horn)

Vladimir:

Okay, got it! What you’re saying is you’re celebrating we’re back together again and let’s embrace, right . . . ?

Estragon:

Don’t blurt out such idiocy! Who the hell’d be happy to meet the likes of you . . . ? (Flings horn to the ground)

Vladimir:

Oh! I remember, something happened to you . . . Last night, you were sleeping right over there and someone kicked you. Really hurt. (Retrieves horn)

Estragon:

(Refocusing on his boots) It hurt, like you say, really hurt. Somebody kicked me here (indicating the side of his chest) with the boot’s toe . . . . Not this one. (Hunkers down again) It’s this one here, see, I was trying to take it off or trying to put this one on . . . that’s what I was trying to say . . . .

Vladimir:

You were trying to put this one on or trying to take this one off . . .? [End Page 252]

Estragon:

Right. If you’d try it too, you’d get it, but, see, when I tried to put this one on or, actually, I’m thinking now, wasn’t I just trying to take this one here off . . . ?

Vladimir:

Then it was you . . . ?

Estragon:

What . . . ?

Vladimir:

So that’s your train of thought? That you were either trying to put this one on while taking this one off or that you were trying to take this one off while putting this one on . . . ?

Estragon:

That’s it . . . !

Vladimir:

So, keep on thinking by yourself . . . .

Estragon:

What’re you getting at . . . ?

Vladimir:

That would be, could you please think it through...