October 15, 2013 | Theatre,

Sixty Years of Waiting

In the sixty years since the first production of Waiting for Godot the play has firmly secured its place as a modern classic. It is read, studied, and performed by everyone from high school actors to seasoned psychologists. Here is a timeline of the highlights of Godot throughout the years.

1948-1949 – En Attendant Godot is written

January 5th, 1953 – First production in a small theatre, Theatre de Babylone, in Paris. The production was directed by directed by Roger Blin

1954 – Luttringhausen prison in Germany performs Godot. After, an inmate writes an anonymous letter to Beckett stating:

“You will be surprised to be receiving a letter about your play Waiting for Godot, from a prison where so many thieves, forgers, toughs, homos, crazy men and killers spend this bitch of a life waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Waiting for what? Godot?”

August 3rd, 1955 – English language premiere at the Arts Theatre in London Directed by Peter Hall

January 3rd, 1956 – First American performance in Coconut Grove Playhouse in Florida starring Tom Ewell, John Scott Smart, Bert Lahr (pictured below).

November 19th, 1957 – The San Francisco Actors’ Workshop performs Godot for the San Quentin inmates.

1975 – Beckett directs his production at the Schiller Theater in West Berlin

1998 – Lincoln Center Theatre revival Starring Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Bill Irwin, and F. Murray Abraham.Directed by Mike Nichols

September 30th, 1991 – West End Revival Directed by Les Blair

1992 – Parisian court denies a director the right to cast women in the play.

February 2006 – Court rules in case in Italy that two women are allowed to perform the play, against the wishes of Beckett’s estate.

2007 – Christopher McElroen and Paul Chan conceive site specific performance of Godot in neighborhoods devastated by hurricane Katrina.

April 30th, 2009 – West End Revival at the Theatre Royal Haymarket Starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart

2009 – Broadway revival Starring Nathan Lane,John Goodman, and Bill Irwin.

Fall 2013 – Broadway revival Starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart

Spring 2013 – Online web series based on the French manuscript En Attendant Godot

List Compiled by Creative Producer Katie Williams