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Playwright Samuel Beckett, according to Balagula Theatre director Ryan Case, is beyond description.

“Beckett is probably the hardest playwright that I’ve run up against, acting wise. It’s probably one of the most difficult pieces you can hand an actor. It’s very complicated, complex work,” Case said.

It may be a challenge, but it’s a challenge Case thinks he’s up to, both as an actor and a director. The Balagula Theatre has begun its first season of full shows, including three works by Beckett.

The theater will produce “Play,” directed by Case, “Endgame” and “Not I,” starring Case. The plays are being produced as a single show, “B is for Beckett,” and will be performed nightly Sunday through Wednesday.

“I’m a fan of Beckett and I like his work, but more importantly than that, we were looking for material that was accessible to the public and challenging to the artists. Beckett fit the bill. He was a perfect choice to start the season,” Case said. “Choosing Beckett is much like trying to describe the pieces themselves. It’s an intuitive sense of artistry that’s not easily conveyed.”

For Case, working as an actor and a director in the same show has been difficult, but as a lifelong theater lover, he is happy to be able to be involved in whatever way possible.

“I love both (acting and directing). It’s two different animals to tame. Doing them both at the same time is quite a challenge ... (but) I just love the pieces. Each one has its challenge, but approaching it from an actor’s point of view makes it easier to do because you’re relating to the actor’s themselves. It’s not the conventional kind of performance that the actor’s are used to,” Case.

Case has been a fan of Beckett for a long time, citing “Waiting for Godot” as one of the first plays he saw performed. So when it came time to find the right pieces for the Balagula show, Case decided to return to Beckett, with the intent of selecting lesser known works.

“Beckett has a huge number of plays that are not usually produced and are really interesting,” Case said.

Still, Case is confident that audiences will respond to the work.

“Beckett’s theater has the power to fascinate us with these small, ordinary experiences of life, as well as tit’s great mysteries. ... It’s this human experience of seeking resolution where there is none,” Case said.

The plays are also particularly applicable to contemporary audiences, Case said, because of current events like war in the Middle East. The Balagula season is full of absurdist and existential playwrights, most of whom were writing in war or post-war eras, according to Case.

“It’s really an artist’s attempt to express what’s going on in the hearts and the minds of the world around them,” Case said. “It’s not unlike the current situation of us fighting through wars now. You’re starting to see a resurgence of these playwrights on the stage again. It’s entertainment, yes, but it’s also history and psychology. It’s all these things that are so important to the development of the actor and the public.”

While the plays are engaging, there are moments that can be challenging for audiences, as well as actors.

“It’s just an experience before you and it conjures up all these feelings,” Case said. ... “It works beyond the intellect, and that’s what Beckett wanted.”

Tickets are $15 per person, or season tickets can be purchased for $50. To reserve tickets, call 259-2754. For season tickets, call 259-0183.

Contact Rachel Parsons at rparsons@winchestersun.com.

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