Waiting for Godot in the lower ninth


Waiting for Godot in the lower ninth, originally uploaded by kfoz.

Last night I walked down the street to see Waiting for Godot performed at an intersection in the middle of the overgrown fields that used to be inhabited by the houses and residents of the Lower Ninth ward. The production was great--the performances were terrific--but I don't think I like that play so much. And there was a lot of waiting involved. Waiting for free tickets, waiting for free gumbo, waiting to be escorted to the stadium seating that had been erected for the show. And waiting for the show to be over. I'd forgotten that there were two acts in which nothing happens. For some reason I only remember the one. And it got pretty windy up there, at the back row, where the rake of the seating made it difficult to see the performers, who were often directed to sit close to the front of the audience.

And the production cost $200,000--so there was a strange irony to the plight of the characters, who are waiting for Godot but only get some cheap entertainment by a man and his hog.

Still, it was exciting to see so much traffic on Claiborne street, and people fighting to park on these completely abandoned streets.

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