The buzz about the new production of Waiting for Godot is good, and I look forward to seeing it next weekend. Among the things I'm wondering about, though, is how they're pronouncing the title character's name. The best productions I've seen--one at the Matrix in L.A. in 2000, and one a few years back by Dublin's Gate Theatre--honored Beckett's apparent wishes and pronounced it "GOD-oh," with the same first-accent stress as "Pozzo" and "Gogo" (indeed, this Marx Bros.-esque rhythmic affinity is the most reasonable explanation for the similar pronunciation). But, of course, popularly the play is almost invariably referred to in a faux-French pronunciation, roughly "G'Doh," to the point that I feel a little awkward pronouncing it correctly in conversation. (Try it: It sounds weird but gets better with practice.)
This is hardly the most important element of a production of this classic--and I don't even recall how the actors in this production said it--but a friend from out of town I spoke to briefly who'd seen and enjoyed the new Broadway production recently referred to it in passing in the familiar English-class way ("Waiting for G'Doh"), and I didn't get a chance to split hairs with him. I'm curious, that's all.
Either way it's pronounced, I enjoyed this production very much. They go with the non-French, which seems more American (we accent the first syllable of everything, i.e. UM-brella, at least in the south we do). But given the talk of Franc's and other French items in the script, I would not mind Go-DOH either.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever heard Americans use the "G'doh" variation. Here in Britain, the first syllable is always stressed.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time someone informed me of this pronunciation I went back and re-read the play. I found it was terrifyingly difficult to maintain. I have never seen a production that utilized it, but it seems like it might be to obvious of a pointing to Godot as God.
ReplyDeleteIt's gone on too long, and now it's up to all us to do our part to correct this mistakenly pretentious mis-pronunciation.
ReplyDeleteDon't be shy, my friends, say it loud and say it proud: GODot. GODot. GODot.
I've always said it the French way because I first read it in the original version. (Have yet to actually read act 2 in English.)
ReplyDeleteI saw the show and was very impressed. They pronounced it GODot in this production.
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