Act Without Words I

Beckett's short play takes place in a desert illuminated by a "dazzling light". The cast consists of just one man, who is thrown on stage at the start of the play and is thrown back each time he attempts to exit. The main action is of the man trying to reach a small carafe of water, which is always just out of reach, suspended from the flies of the theatre. The entire story is conveyed through mime. After numerous attempts and a failed suicide, the man gives up and is left sitting on the ground.