New York Premiere of On Beckett Set to Open This Fall

Irish Repertory Theatre has announced that they will present the New York premiere of On Beckett. Conceived and performed by Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), On Beckett explores the writings of Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot). The show begins performances on September 26 at Irish Rep Theatre on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage, with an opening night set for October 3, for a run through November 4.

The show is described as follows: "Bill Irwin can't escape Samuel Beckett. He has spent a lifetime captivated by the Irish writer's language. In this intimate 90-minute evening, Irwin will explore a performer's relationship to Beckett, mining the physical and verbal skills acquired in his years as a master clown and Tony Award-winning actor. Irwin's approach to the comic, the tragic, to every side of Beckett's work — including Waiting for Godot, Endgame, and Texts for Nothing — will allow audiences to experience the language in compelling new ways. Whether you're encountering the Nobel Prize winner's writing for the first time, or building on a body of Beckett knowledge, this dynamic showcase is not to be missed."

The cast of On Beckett includes Irwin and, in his Irish Rep debut, Finn O'Sullivan. The creative team for On Beckett includes set designer Charlie Corcoran (The Seafarer) and costume consultant Martha Tally (The Seafarer). Additional creative team will be announced at a later date.

Irwin is a master clown; Tony Award-winning actor; and MacArthur, Guggenheim, and Fulbright Fellow. On Beckett was originally developed at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco in consultation with artistic director Carey Perloff and produced at the Strand Theater in January 2017. The show was also workshopped at the Vineyard Theatre and the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.