Quote of the Day: What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come – Vladimir, in Samuel Becket’s Waiting for Godot, a play that examines life and existence, connection and isolation, as it entertains and provokes. I’m so glad I finally got to see it, and at the Guthrie Theater, with such a tremendous cast. 

I have been waiting a long time to see a production of Waiting for Godot. It’s one of those classics that is talked about so much, referenced in other work and media, and seems to be the quintessential play on life. When I attended the one man show by Bill Irwin, On Beckett, my interest was piqued even more. So, I was excited to see Waiting for Godot on the schedule for the Guthrie Theater’s 2026-2027 season. The wait would soon be over.

Director Joseph Haj has an extremely talented cast to work with. David Strathairn (extensive career in film and stage, including Nomadland and Good Night, and Good Luck, A League of Their Own) plays Vladimir. I really enjoy his work, and many of his films, where he often plays a more serious character. So, to see him live on stage at the Guthrie was a thrill. He is also highly entertaining and funny as a clown, who is waiting, and contemplating life, and drawing us in with a movement, a look, a word. I still have the image of him standing in the center of the large Wurtele Thrust stage, designed to look like a barren wasteland, delivering those line: Was I sleeping, while others suffered? Am I sleeping now? Tomorrow, when I wake, or think I do, what shall I say of today? That with Estragon my friend, at this place, until the fall of night, I waited for Godot? Those words keep playing over and over in my head. Are we all sleeping? Am I? What will wake us up so we can truly live?

David Strathairn as Vladimir in Waiting for Godot at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/11/26. Photo: Dan Norman

Jimmy Kieffer (also an extensive theater and film career, including playing one of my favorite characters from the History Plays at the Guthrie in 2024, Falstaff) is an endearing Estragon (also called Gogo by Vladimir). While he seems a little more cynical that Vladimir, and is beaten up more, he has a more humorous approach. Sort of an, oh, well, here we go again attitude. The on-going bit with his boots is funny, even as I cringed at the thought of pulling them off of swollen feet, the stench that no doubt prevailed, and the pain of walking that broken ground without them. The two characters have a pull-tug relationship, bringing up several times that they might be better off separating and going off alone for a while, but they never do. 

David Strathairn as Vladimir and Jimmy Kieffer as Estragon in Waiting for Godot at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/11/26. Photo: Dan Norman

William Sturdivant (who has played many iconic roles at the Guthrie, including Hamlet) plays Pozzo, a character who represents, to me, those who have much power and little heart. He drags around his carrier, Lucky, who is attached to a rope – like a dog, a pig, or someone looking for the nearest tree. Jim Lichtscheidl (beloved Twin Cities actor who has been in hundreds of performances on many stages as well as film) plays Lucky, who is mostly silent, but says so much with his actions, and has a long and confusing monologue as a “Thinker.” His physical comedic skills shine in this role. The final character is A Boy, played by Antonio Teodoro. He’s a messenger for Godot, telling the men that Godot will not be coming again tonight. In my mind, he seems like a younger version of Vladimir.

David Strathairn as Vladimir and Antonio Teodoro as A Boy in Waiting for Godot at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/11/26. Photo: Dan Norman

The set, designed by Marion Williams, looks like the aftermath of some terrible natural disaster, war, or some other devastation, with debris lining the edges, and a single, nearly dead-looking tree, as the main focal point. Sound design, by Darron L. West, creates the atmosphere of a stark reality, yet almost other-worldly. He includes sounds of nature, as the setting is a countryside road, and well timed sound effects. Although, I did feel like that buzzing sound, like cicadas or annoying overhead florescent lights, could be a little loud and distracting, but maybe that was the point. It got louder at certain moments. Then, when it was cut, the absence of the sound was noticeable. The lighting cues, designed by Christopher Akerlind, give the audience focus, but also show us when nightfall finally happens. (Another day is over, and what have we done? Will we wake to do it all over again? Will it ever be different?) Costumes, which can be perceived as the sad clown or vagabond, were created by Trevor Bowen.

David Strathairn as Vladimir and Jimmy Kieffer as Estragon in Waiting for Godot at the Guthrie Theater, thru 10/11/26. Photo: Dan Norman

Waiting for Godot is a fascinating show where not much happens, and what does happen will happen over and over again. It’s thought-provoking and entertaining, and I can see why it’s talked about so much. People have been trying to figure out the meaning of this play since it was first produced in Paris, France in 1953. As my scholarly sister and brother-in-law said, “It’s up the the person experiencing it to figure that out. The audience is a necessary part of this play.” And, to further that, I suspect that people can see it many times, at different stages of their own lives, with different people on stage and in the audience, and take something different from it. The same things happen. We’re still waiting, but somehow we are changed.

You can see this stunning production of Waiting for Godot at the Guthrie Theater through Oct. 11, 2026. I’d love to hear what you think!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Have you seen Waiting for Godot? What did you experience or think about during the performance and/or afterwards. Do you feel like you’ve been sleeping (metaphorically), and what are you waiting for to finally wake up?