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Waiting for Godot Modernised
Act I
The setting is a living room and a couch sits in the middle of the scene. A clock ticks away and the scene open with two men sitting on a couch.
Mark: Waiting…
Steve: Waiting…
Mark: For...
Steve: For...what?
Mark: Not what.
Steve: For whom?
Mark: Indeed
Steve: Who?
Mark: Who?
Steve: The one we wait for.
Mark: Ah...he...is not named.
Steve: Everyone has a name
Mark: But not he.
Steve: When will he come?
Mark: Who?
Steve: Him
Mark: Who?
Steve: The one with no name
Mark: Ah him...only time will tell.
Steve: What if it doesn’t?
Mark: Time always tells.
Long silence
I’m...bored. Are you bored?
Long silence
Mark: To an extent...
Should...we do something?
Long silence
Mark: Yes, to pass time.
They remain seated on the couch
Steve: We seem to be unable...to do something.
Mark: It’s inevitable.
Steve: We’re stuck in a point of time.
Mark: As always.
Steve: With nothing to do.
Mark: What is there to do?
Long silence
Steve: Why don’t we have jobs?
Mark: We do.
Steve: Begging isn’t a job
Mark: Oh
Very long silence, the clock keeps ticking; the two men are staring ahead
Mark: Why don’t we...?
Steve: Mark?
Mark: Yes?
Steve: Shut up.
Mark: Sorry
The clock continues to tick
Mark: Would you...?
Steve: What? Glares at Mark.
Mark: Like...some...wine? Mark squeaks
Steve grunts an approval, Mark picks up the two wine glasses and carries them across the kitchen, trembling and clattering excessively. He sets the wine on the table and gasps for air pretending to be tired, Steve ignores him.
Short silence
Mark: I...I’m just a very lonely guy He looks into the distance with pity
Steve: I’m not very surprised Mark!
Mark: of my 30 or so years, do you know how many girls I have had?
Steve: None
Mark: Yea...sounds about right, are you surprised Mark?
Steve: No.
Mark: Neither am I.
Steve is about to fall asleep, but Mark butts in.
Mark: Suppose I had fake chest hair...?
Steve: Mark?
Mark: Yes?
Steve: Shut...up...
Mark: Okay.
Steve and Mark stay silent, time passes, the window now shows the night sky, the tea in front of them is still full.
Steve: Good night
Mark: Beg your pardon?
Steve: Good night.
Mark: It’s night?
Steve: Look at the sky.
Mark: But we haven’t done anything!
Steve: Should that stop time?
Mark: How did the time pass?
Steve: It did, just like how time passes every day.
Mark: We haven’t even met him yet!
Steve: Who?
Mark: Him
Steve: Who?
Mark: The one who isn’t named Mark.
Steve: Oh...him.
Mark: So?
Steve: Did he not come?
Mark: You can’t recall?
Steve: I never could.
Mark: He didn’t come.
Steve: Oh
Mark: Will he come tomorrow?
Steve: Only time will tell.
They hear the sound of mail coming into their house, Steve slowly ambles towards the mail, and with a grunt of exaggerated effort he rips the envelope open. It reads as follows:
Apologies for today’s absence, will come by tomorrow without doubt...see, I told you.
Mark: Well let’s go to sleep, we’ll just leave the mail on the table.
Steve: Okay
Mark: Okay
Steve: Would you like to go first?
Mark: No no, please.
Steve: Very well
Mark: Very well.
Neither of them moves
Act 2
Same setting as in Act 1
Mark: Waiting
Steve: Waiting
Mark: For...
Steve: For...what?
Mark: Not what.
Steve: For whom?
Mark: Indeed
Steve: Who?
Mark: Who?
Steve: The one we wait for.
Mark: Ah...he...is not named.
Steve: Everyone has a name
Mark: But not he.
Steve: When will he come?
Mark: Who?
Steve: Him
Mark: Who?
The one with no name
Mark: Ah him...only time will tell.
Steve: What if it doesn’t?
Mark: Time always tells.
Long silence
Steve: I’m...bored. Are you bored?
Long silence
Mark: To an extent...
Steve: Should...we do something?
Long silence
Mark: Yes, to pass time.
They remain seated on the couch
Steve: We seem to be unable...to do something.
Mark: It’s inevitable.
Steve: We’re stuck in a point of time.
Mark: As always.
Steve: With nothing to do.
Mark: What is there to do?
Long silence
Steve: Nothing to do...but wait...for whom?
Mark: Who?
Steve: The one we wait for.
Mark: Ah...he...is not named.
Steve: Everyone has a name
Mark: But not he.
Steve: When will he come?
Mark: Who?
Steve: Him
Mark: Who?
Steve: The one with no name
Mark: Ah him...only time will tell.
Steve: What if it doesn’t?
Mark: Time always tells.
The two stay silent until the evening
Steve: Mark?
Mark: I’ve already shut up.
Steve: What? No, I’m hungry
Mark: We don’t have food
Steve: That’s why I’m hungry.
Mark: If you pretended you weren’t, then you wouldn’t be hungry.
Steve: Why don’t we just go buy some food?
Mark: We can’t
Steve: Too poor?
Mark: That too.
Steve: Then why?
Mark: He hasn’t come yet.
Steve: Who?
Mark: Him.
Steve: Ah....who?
Mark: The one who isn’t named.
They hear the sound of mail coming into their house, Steve slowly ambles towards the mail, and with a grunt of exaggerated effort he rips the envelope open. It reads as follows:
Apologies for today’s absence, will come by tomorrow without doubt...see, I told you.
Mark: Well let’s go to sleep, we’ll just leave the mail on the table.
Steve: Okay
Mark: Okay
Steve: Would you like to go first?
Mark: No no, please.
Steve: Very well
Mark: Very well.
Neither of them moves
The scene moves towards the table, it has a mountain of identical looking letters stacked upon each other.
End.
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