‘KRAPP’S LAST TAPE’ by Cutting Ball

On Thursday I made a last-minute dash over to Cutting Ball Theater, at Exit on Taylor, to catch their exquisite production of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape.

This is a gorgeous production of a play that probably every playwright has read but probably not every playwright has seen. Or if they have seen it, it was probably some drama-school production that Beckett tried to come back from the grave to stop, directed by a 19-year-old who didn’t really understand what’s so poignant about some old guy listening to a tape. (That may have only happened to me.)

This production is not like that. This production is wonderful, filled with beautiful little moments where even just Krapp taking a breath is huge. And there’s a fantastic acting/directing choice when Krapp is listening to his younger self talk about holding a beautiful woman that just about broke my heart.

Paul Gerrior is a wonderful Krapp; Rob Melrose is one of the best Beckett (and Ionesco) (and I wanna see him do Albee!) directors around; and the sound design by Cliff Caruthers must be called out.

Yikes, this is getting dangerously close to sounding like a “review.” This is not a review. I am not a reviewer. I am a playwright who saw a play he liked. For actual criticism and thoughtful writing beyond, “Me like play,” go here.

And then go here:

Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett at Cutting Ball Theater, 277 Taylor St, San Francisco, through Jun 21. Tickets at cuttingball.com.