Audiences who might be put off by the thought of attending a one-person deep dive into the writings of Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) should think again. Bill Irwin, a skilled actor and trained clown, has brought his 90-minute solo performance, On Beckett, to the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Klein Theatre in Washington through March 15. It's both easily accessible and frequently hilarious.

Beckett was notorious, in his lifetime and thereafter, for using absurdism as a way to find sense in the puzzles and contradictions of life. Irwin understands both the linguistic and physical elements of Beckett's work and uses his acting skills to make the author's "famously difficult" style intelligible to the non-expert. (Like Beckett, Irwin has a diverse theatrical resume, including Tony Awards both for his original work Largely New York and as George in a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).

In On Beckett, Irwin's performance focuses on scenes from Waiting for Godot and Texts for Nothing, with enough background material to keep the viewer interested. He notes how Beckett was influenced early by the writing of James Joyce and also points to lessons he learned from studying such authors as John Milton. While the specifics of a Beckett situation may seem ridiculous or at least improbable, his scenarios still have some sort of internal logic, possibly like the viewer stepping into someone else's dream.

Above all, Irwin demonstrates how audiences should not take Beckett overly seriously; he didn't take himself especially seriously. He looked at and depicted bleakness and despair, but he always fought against it.

On Beckett runs through March 15, 2026, at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Klein Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW, Washington DC. For tickets and information, please call 202-547-1122 or 877-487-8849 or visit www.shakespearetheatre.org.

Conceived and performed by Bill Irwin

An Irish Repertory Theatre production, produced in association with Octopus Theatricals