BY R. J. DONOVAN
SPECIAL TO THE BIR

The Gare St Lazare Players Ireland return to Boston from Oct. 31 through Nov. 10 to present Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting For Godot” as part of ArtsEmerson’s World On Stage Series. Ranking among the foremost interpreters of Beckett’s work, Gare St Lazare is led by Artistic Directors Conor Lovett and Judy Hegarty Lovett. Together, they have built an international reputation while touring to more than 25 countries across six continents.

Becket was born in Dublin in 1906 and is touted as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. “Godot” was the first play from the novelist and poet. In this absurdist classic, two wanderers wait in vain to meet an individual named Godot. As they endure what appears to be an eternity, they do whatever they can “to keep the terrible silence at bay.”

Directed by Judy and featuring Conor in the role of Vladimir, “Waiting For Godot” is a co-production with Dublin Theatre Festival that will play The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin and The Belfast Festival at Queens on its way to Boston. The couple’s last effort in town was a stunning one-man presentation of “Moby Dick,” also at ArtsEmerson.

Following is an edited look at my long-distance interview with Conor Lovett:
BIR: Tell me about the metamorphosis of this particular production. What led you to select “Godot” for the upcoming tour?
CL: We have been presenting Beckett’s prose on stage for the past 15 years and have wanted to do “Godot” for quite a while, so we approached Dublin Theatre Festival with the prospect of a co-production for the 60th anniversary (of the play) and they came behind it. Touring has always been an integral part of our work – two years ago we presented “Moby Dick” at ArtsEmerson and had a wonderful experience. We approached [ArtsEmerson executive director] Rob Orchard, who is a Beckett fan, and he jumped at the chance. The Belfast Festival at Queens follows Dublin Theatre Festival and we are thrilled to be playing in the brand new Lyric Theatre there.

BIR: You and Judy have a long history of working together. Is it challenging to be teamed both personally and professionally?
CL: Of course there are challenges, but they are always outweighed by the opportunity to spend more time with each other. Our parents worked together in family businesses so the model seems very natural to us and we worked closely on many projects even prior to setting up our company. So we see it as a great advantage.

BIR: Tell me a little about your vision for the production.
CL: Our aim always with any writer is to present his/her work and try to keep out of his/her way. “Godot” is one of the classics of our times and has had a profound influence right across the spectrum of the arts. However it is still surprising to find how many people won’t have seen a production. We’re aiming to present the play in a way that keeps interpretation of its themes open to all.

BIR: The renowned critic Brooks Atkinson called “Godot” a “mystery wrapped in enigma.” What do audiences most strongly identify with in the play?
CL: Perhaps because it treats seriously – albeit with great comedy and humanity – the question of our time here on the earth. The mystery of why we’re here and how to treat each other during the time we are here. Beckett’s philosophy is primarily one of compassion for each other because each of us have our struggles. That you can deal with these subjects and still bring people along on a very entertaining evening at the theater has a lot to do with the success of the play.

BIR: What does the play have to say about the human condition – faith, hopelessness, corruption – in today’s clearly stressful times, financially and politically?
CL: It’s important to remember we are not the first to hit hard times, and we won’t be the last. Beckett was careful not to narrow down the meaning and this is perhaps one of the reasons for its endurance. It was one of the first works of the theater not to offer conclusions or a position. And at the same time it is entirely accessible and easy to identify with the characters and their responses. Which of us hasn’t had to wait for something that is important to us?

BIR: Having presented so many of Beckett’s plays, you’re in the ideal position to share your thoughts on why Beckett is so enduring.
CL: I like to think of Beckett as one of the great, great artists – Shakespeare, Chaucer, Beethoven, Picasso, Bob Dylan, Laurie Anderson – artists devoted to their craft and its execution and backed up by an artistic vision that resonates with so many of us. Because it is human and about being human.

BIR: At the same time, because you’ve presented so many of Becket’s plays, is it an uphill climb to constantly find new layers in his work?
CL: Each person who sees a Beckett play, or one of our stagings of his prose works, brings the new layers with them. It’s hard to tire of greatness, and the breadth of reference in Beckett’s work will keep us going for a long time.

BIR: When you tour internationally, do you ever find the need to adjust direction or intent? Or is it merely a subtle, ongoing realignment each night, no matter the city, based purely on the energy of the audience?
CL: I think you’ve answered it. Staying live and in the moment and at the service of the words is the key. Beckett does the rest. So a lot of work goes into the rehearsal and the preparation in order that the live performance can be a truly living thing and an audience’s responses will keep the actors working. When it becomes something by rote it is of less use to either performer or audience, so freshness is vital. With the help of Culture Ireland we’ve now toured to over 80 cities around the world with Beckett and the response has been just incredible.

BIR: What do you hope audiences take away after experiencing “Godot” at ArtsEmerson?
CL: An evening of exciting, live theater that has resonated with them and will have them thinking about the play and their lives for several weeks afterward. Is that too much to ask?

R. J. Donovan is Editor and Publisher of onstageboston.com.
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“Waiting For Godot”, Oct. 31-November 10, from The Gare St Lazare Players Ireland, for ArtsEmerson at The Paramount Center, 559 Washington Street in Boston. Tickets: 617-824-8400 or artsemerson.org.