Catastrophe (play)

Catastrophe is a short play by Samuel Beckett, written in 1982. Unique in the Beckett canon, it is one of the only plays to deal with a political theme and (arguably) holds the title of Beckett's most optimistic work. It was dedicated to then imprisoned Czech reformer and playwright, Václav Havel.

Synopsis

The Director and his aide rehearse for the opening of a new modernistic play, consisting entirely of a man (The Protagonist) standing still on a stage. They discuss his visual features, noting lighting changes (such as the directive "whiten cranium"). They rehearse lighting with the theatre technician (the never seen "Luke"), as well as costume changes (which encompasses stripping the man down to his underwear). The play within the play is quite short, lasting only a few seconds: from darkness, to light falling on the man's head and then darkness again. At the end of the play, the director notes "There's our catastrophe! In the bag." We hear the rising of the expectant applause on the opening day. However, in an act of defiance, the man looks up into the audience (after having been looking down the entire time), which falters and kills its applause. End of play.

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