Reaction to The Caretaker

After reading several other works fro the Theater of the Absurd, The Caretaker was quite a disappointment. Common to other plays of the genre, it did present certain odd characteristics of human nature, but failed to do so in an amusing way. My favorite aspect of Absurdist plays is the way the author often exaggerates these quirky characteristics to a comedic degree. The absence of a real plot, climax or well developed characters is made up for through this aspect. This is what made me enjoy reading the plays Waiting for Godot and The Bald Soprano. The Caretaker lacks a plot and anything that lends it interesting or amusing. Nothing of essence happens throughout the entire play. The play's three acts are composed of mostly pointless dialogue and overly intricate stage directions. The whole plot took place inside Aston's bedroom, scattered with random black-outs. Everything known about the characters is from the dialogue. As a reader, I am never sure of anything because of the constant contradictions and deceptions. Davies talked too much and did little; he never gave a genuine impression. Mick was unpredictable and Aston was very dry. Aston's reasons for bringing Davies in were never made clear, leaving the only major question unanswered. As easily as they accepted Davies into their home, they threw him out. No explanation offered either way. The stage directions allowed me to visualize the scene exactly as the playwright hoped for, but at times I felt that certain specifications were meaningless. Not only did was the play not enjoyable, it was actually annoying to read. The unending, meaningless plot where conversations tended to repeat themselves and little action ever took place was very aggravating. The only part of the play that actually mildly interested me was the fight scene that almost happened between Davies and Mick, but, of course, was avoided. The play was very bland and definitely overrated. Putting the play in context helped me understand it, yet I still believe it lacks many elements that would merit it a play worth recommending.