Waiting for Waiting for Godot

WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT

10-MINUTE PLAY, COMEDY

By Nathan Holley

Two geriatric women wait for a city-sponsored production of a play about waiting.

DETAILS

SUMMARY

Seated on an uncomfortable lobby bench outside a pair of locked auditorium doors, two two elderly friends pass the time by discussing candy, concessions, and whether the performance has already begun. Their attempts to verify the date, open the doors, and remember which play they came to see unknowingly recreate the structure of the play occurring somewhere beyond the doors—or perhaps directly in front of the audience.

SETTING

The lobby of a city-owned theatre, or one of its underfunded performance spaces.

FEATURES

Two-Person Cast, All Female Cast, Single Setting, Older Female Roles, Absurdist Comedy, Physical Comedy, Metatheatre

KEYWORDS

Waiting, Theatre, Aging, Friendship, Memory, Companionship, Absurdism

Read a Sample

SYNOPSIS

Gretchen stands in the lobby of a city-owned theatre, staring at the marquee for the upcoming season. Veronica attempts to settle herself on a thick leather bench but finds it persistently uncomfortable.

The women appear to be waiting for a performance of Waiting for Godot. Gretchen chews hard candy loudly and repeatedly hands—or fails to hand—her used wrappers to Veronica, who carefully flattens and stores them in her own purse.

They discuss the theatre’s season. Gretchen remembers a production of Steel Magnolias and wishes the company would stage Wicked. Veronica would rather have attended Two Gentlemen of Verona, partly because another venue has an open concession stand.

Their conversation becomes confused when Gretchen attributes Two Gentlemen of Verona to Balzac rather than Shakespeare. The misunderstanding escalates through fragmented associations involving Verona, vending machines, literary knowledge, and whether any play about two men could differ substantially from Waiting for Godot.

Veronica complains that no one wants to watch two people waiting. Gretchen points out that they apparently do.

Unable to get comfortable, the women turn around on the bench and face away from the audience. Veronica declares that the blank wall before them is now a show.

They wonder whether the actors are on a break or whether the performance has already begun. Veronica grows increasingly frustrated with the wait and argues that two women would never have spent so long beneath Godot’s tree.

The women test the locked auditorium doors. Gretchen pushes against doors clearly fitted with handles, prompting an argument about whether some people simply cannot handle being pushed.

They listen through the doors but hear nothing. After Veronica reluctantly puts on her hearing aids, she still detects no sound. Gretchen suggests that the silence may simply be one of the play’s waiting sections.

They retrieve their tickets but cannot read them. Both clean their glasses, exchange them, clean them again, and discover that each can see better through the other woman’s frames. The tickets appear to confirm that the performance is scheduled for that evening, although Veronica believes there may be a misprint.

Their confusion spreads to the title itself. Gretchen claims they are waiting for Verona. Veronica corrects her with “Godot,” which Gretchen mistakes for a sneeze.

A minor disagreement becomes a full argument over the uncomfortable bench, their choice of show, Gretchen’s candy, and whether they should have seen Oklahoma! instead. Veronica insults Gretchen and storms out.

Gretchen angrily eats more candy while alone. Veronica soon returns because the exit is also locked.

The women sit together again and exchange candy and wrappers, reversing the ritual established at the beginning. With their mouths full, they finally identify what they are doing: they are waiting for Waiting for Godot.

They agree that they should leave, but neither woman moves.

CASTING & PRODUCTION

CHARACTERS

GRETCHEN — An elderly woman in her seventies or eighties. Gretchen is distractible, literal-minded, curious, and capable of following a conversation in directions no one else anticipated.

Veronica calls her “Gigi” (Female, 65-85)

VERONICA — An elderly woman of approximately the same age as Gretchen. Veronica is impatient, practical, sharp-tongued, and deeply uncomfortable on the theatre’s bench. She attempts to impose logic on their circumstances but is no more capable than Gretchen of determining whether the show has begun.

Gretchen calls her “Vivi.” (Female, 65-85)

CASTING

This play can be quite humorous when performed by two teen/young adult actresses posing as octogenarians, which is certainly permitted.

HISTORY & ACCOLADES

HISTORY

Waiting for Waiting for Godot was first workshopped in 2023 at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT under the supervision of director, Kristie Post Wallace. After receiving first place in the Vera Hinckley Mayhew Creative Arts Contest (10-Minute Plays), the script received a full production as part of the university's 2024 Microburst New Play Festival. It was directed by Alexandra Mackenzie Johns, and was met with great reception. The script is available for future development and production.