Black Hills State University Theatre will present Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame” Nov. 6-15 in the Woodburn Black Box on the BHSU campus. The absurdist tragicomedy, directed by BHSU senior Owen Vaughn, explores family, caregiving, dependence, and resentment as four characters await an uncertain end.
Performances are scheduled for Nov. 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 7 p.m., with matinee performances Nov. 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. The production contains mild adult themes.
Written by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, “Endgame” is a one-act absurdist tragicomedy set in an abandoned house in a fictional post-apocalyptic wasteland. The play follows Hamm, a blind and paralyzed elderly man; his parents, Nagg and Nell; and his companion, Clov, as the four await an unspecified “end.” Through terse dialogue, dark humor, and the characters’ often combative interactions, the play explores their dependence on one another and their seemingly inescapable circumstances. The title references the final stages of a chess match, reflecting the characters’ struggle with one another and their fate.
For Vaughn, the relationships at the center of the story offer an opportunity to examine the complicated roles people take on within families and as caregivers.
"For years I’ve been interested in the relationships of parents and their children. I chose 'Endgame' because it shows us the extreme end of family; it shows us what could happen if we stopped caring for each other," said Vaughn. "We may grow resentful of our illnesses, or our caretakers, or our God—'Endgame' shows us precisely how crushing that resentment can become if we let it."
Vaughn, a senior studying English, creative writing, and theatre, previously directed Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Aria da Capo” and has appeared on the BHSU Black Box stage in “A Funny Little Thing Called Love” and “Rats! of the Fiasco.” He also serves as scene shop supervisor for the BHSU Theatre Department and has helped guide construction for several recent BHSU productions.
The cast features Conner Brunick as Hamm, DJ Little Bull as Clov, Emery Beals as Nagg, and Trinity Hostetter as Nell.
Students have also taken on significant creative and technical roles in the production. Vaughn designed the set and sound, while Beals, Little Bull, and Vaughn collaborated on lighting design. Brunick and Vaughn designed the costumes, with students also contributing to set construction, costume fabrication, sound operation, and promotion.
The production runs approximately one hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.
Tickets for BHSU Theatre plays are $20 for adults, $12 for seniors ages 62 and older
and military members, and $10 for K-12 students and non-BHSU students. BHSU students,
faculty, and staff receive free admission with a BHSU ID. Tickets can be purchased
at BHSU.edu/BoxOffice.