Irish critic Vivian Mercier famously described “Waiting for Godot” as a play in which “nothing happens, twice.” Nothing happens in Act I, and nothing happens in Act II. This deceptive simplification of Beckett’s work may turn off audiences looking for a high-paced, action-packed performance. Instead, “Godot” offers a paradoxical experience, one that feels both inert and stormy — an existential whirlwind of dialogue, humor and despair. Watching any iteration of “Waiting for Godot” is stepping into the eye of a cyclone. 

In the Geffen Playhouse’s interpretation of the classic, director Judy Hegarty Lovett navigates the audience through such a tempest, balancing thoughtful aesthetic choices and stellar performances from Rainn Wilson, who plays Vladimir, and Aasif Mandvi, who plays Estragon. Another standout showing is Adam Stein as Lucky, the deferential and tortured slave to Pozzo (Conor Lovett). In the span of two and a half hours, Lovett balances humor, hysteria and poignancy to leave viewers lingering in contemplation long after the lights go out.

In such a play, any line could be read humorously or solemnly. Any grave moment can be made light with a pregnant pause or subtle gesture. This fluidity requires a production to not only oscillate between comedy and tragedy but also embrace ambiguity and trust the actors to bring their interpretations to Beckett’s sparse, fascinating script.

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“Waiting for Godot” opens in media res, with vagrants Vladimir and Estragon — you guessed it — waiting for Godot, an elusive figure who neither one nor the other can recall but promised to meet them later that day. 

Vladimir presents himself as intellectually frantic, whereas Estragon is languidly helpless. The dichotomy between how the two approach anticipation is entertaining, and the volleys of dialogue wander from the mundane to the profound. The two men contemplate carrots, death and time with the same earnestness. Wilson and Mandvi have remarkable chemistry, anchoring the production with a shared struggle to find meaning in the repetitive nature of “Godot.” 

Their musings are punctuated by the presence of Pozzo, an abusive stranger who carries a whip and brutalizes Lucky by the throat with a rope. The arrival of these two characters, at an obvious power imbalance, disrupts the fragile rhythm of Vladimir and Estragon’s waiting and adds a sinister, violent tension to the play’s landscape. Pozzo exaggerates his authoritative influence over Lucky, creating a stark juxtaposition between the comfortable camaraderie between Vladimir and Estragon.

Lucky is hunched over and silent, until Pozzo commands him to “think,” releasing Lucky’s infamous monologue: A chaotic, uninterrupted outpouring of intellectual spectacle and emotional dissonance. Stein shines in his portrayal of his single, minutes-long speaking scene.

The scarce setting and cast make for an intense, interrogative relationship of dialogue and physicality across the stage. The intimacy of the minimal stage makes all movement laden with meaning. A leafless tree and a single rock interrupt the otherwise barren terrain, further reinforcing the existential void at the play’s core. 

The first act concludes shortly after the Boy, played by Lincoln Bonilla, informs Vladimir and Estragon that Godot cannot be there that day, but is sure to come the next.

The second act unfolds like a derivative of the first, falling into a cyclical nature of movement. Thoughts are restated, actions are mirrored and time seems to fall back on itself like a spinning wheel. The once-leafless tree now bears a few leaves, a subtle and almost snide nod to the passage of time.

Perhaps where the play is most harrowing is when the Boy returns with the same message but fails to recognize Vladimir and Estragon, upending the existence and reality they have clung to during their interminable wait. While they questioned their external world before, this was the first time they questioned themselves.

The Geffen rendition is profoundly absurd, often true to life itself. Its slow pace and abstract themes defy conventional storytelling and playwriting. 

“Waiting for Godot” is not a play for everyone. While the play’s meaning has widely been disputed as a commentary on humanity, religion, friendship or death, it does not give definitive answers. One thing is for certain, though: It refuses to wait for you but ensures you’ll never forget the time spent waiting with it. Whether you find meaning in the void or simply sit within it, “Waiting for Godot” hauntingly and timelessly captures the essence of waiting, a human condition. 

“Waiting for Godot” runs at the Geffen Playhouse until Dec. 15. Student rush tickets are available for $20 one hour before showtime on each day’s performance.