The setting for Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, aka En antendant Godot, is an unlikely place for an unhappy picnic — an empty stage and a tree without leaves.
The picnic begins when Pozzo and Lucky arrive. Pozzo brandishes a whip and holds Lucky at the end of a long, heavy rope, like a packhorse laden with a wicker, a valise, an overcoat, and a campstool. Lucky can barely stand. Astounded, Vladimir and Estragon cozy up to Estragon in hopes of joining his picnic. But they only watch, hoping to glean some scraps from Lucky’s “picnic basket” [panier à provisions], as Lucky serves Pozzo wine and cold chicken. It’s a miserable meal, and while Pozzo eats with gusto, he does not share with Lucky.
When Pozzo finishes, he throws his chicken bones on the ground. Catlike, Estragon pounces and gnaws them as if eating real flesh. Selfishly, he does not share his “bounty” with his pal Vladimir.
Featured Image: Anthony Page. Waiting for Godot. Roundabout Theatre: New York (2009). Set design is by Tom Watson. Four picnickers: John Glover as Lucky, Bill Irwin as Vladimir, Nathan Lane as Estragon, and John Goodman as Pozzo. The photo is by Joan Marcus.
See Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot, a Tragicomedy in Two Acts (1954)