Production History of Beckett Shorts

1994-95
Having begun her relationship with New York Theatre Workshop in the 1985-86 season as a mentor with the New Directors Project, JoAnne Akalaitis returns to NYTW to direct Prisoner of Love by Jean Genet, performed by Ruth Maleczech. NYTW Artistic Director James C. Nicola begins conversations with Akalaitis about possible future projects.

1995-2006
NYTW continues to work with Akalaitis to find another project on which to collaborate. Akalaitis brings Hey, Jack Kerouac to the Dartmouth Summer Residency in 1995, a project which later becomes part of the “Just Add Water Festival.” Akalaitis returns to Dartmouth as Artist-in-Residence in Summer 1996. In January 1997, Akalaitis visits NYTW to speak about Lithuanian theatre as part of a Suspects Thursday Evening special event. During these years, she also directs several readings at NYTW, including The Climate of Eden by Moss Hart, Penthesilea by Heinrich von Kleist, Terre Haute by Edmund White and Two Character Play by Tennessee Williams as part of the Mondays @ 3 reading series.

Spring 2006
Akalaitis proposes a project with Mikhail Baryshnikov exploring four of Samuel Beckett’s short plays (Act Without Words I & II, Rough For Theatre I and Eh Joe.)

September 2006
For nine days, Akalaitis and Baryshnikov develop the Beckett piece as a project of NYTW’s Larson Lab. After the successful workshop, Akalaitis invites Bill Camp, Karen Kandel and David Neumann to work on the piece. NYTW commits to produce the piece the following season.

November 2007
Rehearsals begin at NYTW for
Beckett Shorts.

December 2007
Beckett Shorts opens at NYTW.

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