The confusion of 'Happy Days'

When I heard the premise of Samuel Beckett's 1961 absurdist play "Happy Days," I had mixed feelings about going to see it. The main character, Winnie, is basically immobile throughout the play. She is buried up to her waist in the first act and up to her neck in the second act. In a two-man show, Willie, the only other character, barely appears on stage and speaks even less.\nOn the one hand, I couldn't wait to see how director Martha Jacobs, a Bloomington resident, would pull off this unique play. I thought I could crack the code as to why Beckett buried this woman in his play. \nOn the other hand, I worried watching a stationary actress for over two hours would be tediously boring. I was also concerned the language and meaning of the play would go over my head. It seems a play this complex would be something I would have to read myself under the direction of a professor in order to understand all of its complexities and meanings. I left the play with similar mixed feelings. \n"Happy Days" is brilliantly acted by Bloomington residents Diane Kondrat, who plays Winnie, and Mike Price, who plays Willie. Kondrat brings humor and life to the immobile Winnie. With animated facial expressions and a dynamic voice, Kondrat is the center of attention in an otherwise stationary stage. In the second act, particularly when only Kondrat's head is visible on the stage - she truly keeps her character interesting and alive. She performs the difficult, rambling, emotional script to near perfection, making this nearly a one woman show.\nPrice brings physical humor to the otherwise motionless stage. Willie crawls through the hilly landscape, reads the paper and reacts to some of Winnie's remarks. Willie seems mentally deficient, confused to where he is and how to conquer his environment. Price reacts in guttural grunts and moans and grimaces, making Willie's mental problems and the non-communication between Willie and Winnie clear.\nWinnie is suffering and depends on little routines and her rambling to make it through each day as her situation becomes more and more bleak. Her relationship with Willie is one of non-communication. \nThe set of "Happy Days," designed and constructed by Bloomington residents Randy Reinier and Ellen Sieber, is eye-catching. Winnie's upper half pops out of the center of one dune while Willie is half hidden behind another. The backdrop, painted by Sieber, is truly the centerpiece of the set. With its purple and yellow rendering of a desert at sunset, the backdrop makes Winnie's environment both beautiful and strange.\nWhile the set and acting in this play are excellent, I found it extremely difficult to watch a play with little to no real, physical action on the stage. Winnie's monologue is humorous and intriguing at times, but it goes on and on, and she often repeats herself. I had trouble paying attention and the meaning of the play escaped me. \nAfter a play full of symbolism, I walked away with very little understanding of what I just watched. While Jacobs did an excellent job putting together this production, I don't think I had the training or knowledge to understand it. Theater enthusiasts better equipped with knowledge of Beckett and his style might better enjoy and comprehend this play. The precise acting and comedic timing of Kondrat and Price make it well worth seeing, but the script itself may evade most people.\n"Happy Days" will also run at 8 p.m.Friday and Saturday at the Rose Firebay of the John Waldron Arts Center.