Samuel Beckett鈥檚 鈥淓ndgame鈥� opens at 黑料正能量鈥檚 MainStage Theater this month.

The play, billed as an absurdist tragicomedy set at the end of the world, will be performed nightly from Thursday, Oct. 22, to Saturday, Oct. 24, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and free to 黑料正能量 students with a valid ID. They can be purchased online through Eventbrite.

First performed in 1957, 鈥淓ndgame鈥� centers on the blind and chair-bound Hamm (played by Tom King), who is confined to a single room with his servant, Clov (Jay Zehr, class of 1980). The two men are joined by Hamm鈥檚 aging parents, Nagg (Jason Heller) and Nell (Theo Panzol), who appear out of a pair of trash cans. The four are seemingly the last living beings on Earth.

鈥淚t could be anywhere at any time,鈥� said producer and Transports of Joy co-founder Luis Lojo. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no mention of how the world ended or how society collapsed, but you get to watch how these people are coping with it.鈥�

鈥淎 pinnacle of Beckett鈥檚 characteristic raw minimalism,鈥� reads a from the Irish Repertory Theatre, 鈥溾�楨ndgame鈥� is a pure and devastating distillation of the human essence in the face of approaching death.鈥�

Despite the bleak setting, Lojo promises laughs. 鈥淓ndgame鈥� has the same trademark dark humor as Beckett鈥檚 better-known play, 鈥淲aiting for Godot.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 actually a lot of humor in it,鈥� Zehr said. 鈥淓ven in the worst circumstances, there鈥檚 still humanity and there鈥檚 still people trying to connect with each other. There is still humor to be found, even in the darkest moments.鈥�

MainStage Theater 鈥榯he perfect size鈥�

鈥淓ndgame鈥� is directed by Courtney King, daughter of Tom King. It is the first play produced by Transports of Joy, which she founded with Lojo. Pam Johnson, professor emerita of theatre at James Madison University, serves as costume designer.

In 2023, Courtney King and Lojo attended a production of 鈥淓ndgame鈥� at the Irish Rep in New York. Inspired by the play, which they described as both funny and moving, they began planning their own version. This past June, the team began gathering to read the script aloud and workshop it.

After searching for the ideal venue, the couple, who split their time between New York City and Harrisonburg, found a home at 黑料正能量鈥檚 MainStage Theater. The 200-seat theater provides an intimate, up-close view of the stage from anywhere in the house, Lojo said.

鈥淓ven in the last row, you see everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the perfect size because everyone gets to be near the action and be in the same experience.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 100% a labor of love鈥�

Zehr and Tom King are longtime collaborators in the Harrisonburg theater scene, having worked together for 40 years. King was Zehr鈥檚 theater mentor at JMU.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really been a pleasure and a privilege to work with him in a production after all these years,鈥� Zehr said.

The production also marks a return of sorts for Zehr, who attended 黑料正能量 in the mid-1970s and played two seasons on its basketball team. MainStage Theater occupies part of what was then the college gym.

Lojo, a theater professional with more than 40 years of experience, said 鈥淓ndgame鈥� isn鈥檛 often staged, making the chance to see it 鈥渁 rare opportunity.鈥�

鈥淎s a producer, I鈥檓 aware of how difficult this is to sell to people and say, 鈥楬ey, do you want to come see our play about the end of the world?鈥欌�� Lojo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 100% a labor of love. This is just something we wanted to do.鈥�

And while audiences might not leave 鈥渢apping a song,鈥� Lojo hopes the experience stays with them.

鈥淚t might give you some perspective to help cope with different aspects of life,鈥� he said.