Different perceptions

Watching the play is a whole different experience than reading the play. One of the parts where I felt that seeing it rather than reading it made it a lot more vivid and entertaining , was Lucky’s speech. As I read it, (probably because it had no punctuation) I thought it was just a load of words with no real meaning. As I read the speech, I imagined Lucky saying it at a much slower pace because the image I had from him along the entire play was that of a slow person.

However, when watching it, it was completely different.

Even though, the meaning was lost -at least for me, because I was more concentrated on the absurdity of the longest sentence ever- I was able to see a completely different Lucky. He looked like an experienced public speaker, and entirely lost the image of a “dumb” slave as Pozzo had called him.

 The entire body language gave him more grace and admiration from my part. It obviously highlighted the part on absurdity, and theatrical absurdity.  After my shock passed for watching and thinking how in the world had the actor memorized that, I watched it again and understood the real meaning of the speech much better.
It was easier than reading it because I was able to hear it and with the body language see how certain words were emphasized where others were just rushed through. The pace also made a difference, I believe, the first part was slower and thus, I paid more attention to the content, the last part was literary so fast I hardly understood it and I think it made an emphasis on the fact that he was rushed to finish because his hat fell off.

From watching it I concluded two things, first: many times the directors can “adapt” the play to their own interest. Without actually changing the words and the overall play, they can use body language, emphasize, movement, camera angles or lighting to show something not shown by reading the play. This conclusion leads to the second conclusion, when you read the play you can unintentionally do to things, first keep the play writers’ play more genuine and true, or “adapt ” it to your own understanding and creating your own interpretation of it. However, when you see it instead of reading it, you are subject to understanding it completely different to the play writer’s original idea.

You decide which way you want to receive it.