Waiting for Godot

Beneath a lonely tree on a country road, two companions wait for the mysterious Godot. As time moves along, Vladimir and Estragon fill their day circling the largest of questions: Why are we here? What are we here for? Who are we to be? Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy uses wit and poignant dialogue to create an existential world that is humorous yet heartbreaking. Staged at the Guthrie for the first time in over 50 years and featuring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn as Vladimir and acclaimed actor John Carroll Lynch as Estragon, this seminal play explores the human impulses to want more, to understand why and to keep showing up — even when nothing changes.

• Waiting for Godot is considered a landmark of 20th century theater, forever changing conceptions of modern drama — jettisoning conventional plot, utilizing a circular structure and subtly breaking the fourth wall.
• Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee David Strathairn, best known for his performances in Good Night, and Good Luck, The Bourne Ultimatum and Lincoln, will make his Guthrie debut as Vladimir.
• Guthrie audiences will recognize actor John Carroll Lynch, who plays Estragon, from his film roles in Fargo and Zodiac and onstage roles at the Guthrie during the 1990s, including A View From the Bridge and A Christmas Carol.