THEATER REVIEW / ‘ESPERANDO A GODOT’ : Bilingual Beckett : ‘Waiting for Godot’ is offered in English and Spanish at Santa Paula Theater Center. The wait is worth it.

Following the success of the Spanish version of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” earlier this year, the Santa Paula Theater Center (SPTC) invited the Los Angeles-based Grupo de Teatro Culpable to perform a Spanish-language version of “Waiting for Godot.” It is now running in tandem with SPTC’s English-language production of the same play.

Under the direction of founder Hector de Alva, members of the 4-year-old L.A. group offer a first-rate interpretation of “Esperando a Godot,” Samuel Beckett’s existential tragicomedy and seminal work of the Theater of the Absurd.

In 1990 the group presented De Alva’s “Soy la Revolucion” (I Am the Revolution), outside the theater in Ebel Park. Last year the troupe toured Europe with the production and is currently staging it at schools and universities under a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs of Los Angeles County.

De Alva acknowledged that Beckett’s abstract play--in any language--can be confusing to the uninitiated theater-goer. Originally penned in 1948 in French by an Irish expatriate, “Waiting for Godot” has troubled, entertained and annoyed viewers since its 1953 premiere in a tiny Left Bank theater in Paris.

Devoid of scenery, save for a rock and a leafless tree, the two-act play unfolds in the same spot on a country road over two days.

Eschewing traditional three-act structure of exposition, complication and resolution, Beckett gives the audience a taste of the relentless boredom and misery of the characters by employing a circular structure. The characters engage in unresolved actions and disjointed dialogue with Sisyphean futility. The only motive for Vladimir and Estragon’s interminable waiting is the continued hope of receiving a message from Mr. Godot, who never appears.

De Alva has retained the play’s original form and thematic concerns about the meaning of life in Modern Society. But in a departure from the traditional male cast, Gladys Parra plays Estragon. The waif-like Parra is an excellent foible for Hugo Isaac’s Vladimir. Both actors give strong, even performances as tramps who bicker and reconcile during their vigil.

Martin Bautista is equally convincing as the histrionically gesticulating circus ringmaster, Pozzo. Jose Luis Rosas, 28, is very good as Godot’s messenger, usually played by a child. As a stand-in for Samuel Bonifant, Rosas also did an admirable job in the opening performance as Lucky, Pozzo’s catatonic dehumanized servant.

With the absence of purposeful action and plot, the play benefits even more by the fine set designed by Julia Beeding and the lighting effects of Lawrence Oberman. Borrowing from traditional hobo and circus elements, each actor has created an interesting costume. Bertha Merezko’s professional use of makeup supports the surreal circus-mime atmosphere.

The frustrations of Vladimir and Estragon come through during this high-caliber production. Experiencing the play as an objective correlative of man’s inner turmoil, the audience wearies from its emotional roller coaster. Yet the characters are sustained by hope, as De Alva pointed out during an appearance following the curtain call.

In both senses of esperamos , we HOPE that SPTC will continue to bring quality theater to all segments of the community. And we eagerly AWAIT planned future productions of Hispanic works intended to attract an audience presently reluctant to attend the theater. Despite the universal themes of Beckett’s play, SPTC might have more success building a Spanish-speaking audience by offering works with which that audience can culturally identify.

* WHERE AND WHEN

“Waiting for Godot” continues through Aug. 9 at the Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 S. 7th St., Santa Paula. Performances in English are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50; $11 for students and seniors, with group discounts available. The Spanish-language version, “Esperando a Godot,” plays Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday’s at 7 p.m. Tickets are $6 or two for $10. For reservations or more information, call (805) 525-4645.