THE MEMO: A Life on the Stage

A Satirical Take On Bureaucracy

When I went to see “The Memo” by Václav Havel, translated by Paul Wilson, I learned that it’s meant to be a clever and relatable play poking fun at the absurdities of office life and bureaucracy. (A Czechoslovakian playwright, Havel skewers the communist machinery in the country he would decades later lead, as its post-revolution president).

The story centers on a man struggling with a confusing artificial language introduced at his workplace, supposedly to improve communication. Instead, it only creates chaos. The play touches on themes including office politics, power struggles, and how people blindly follow pointless rules. While the concept is sharp and funny at times, I felt the dialogue could have been stronger to make the message clearer.

This wasn’t a full theatrical production but a stage reading, which included lights and costumes. The event was staged in the MHCC Studio Theatre and was directed by Zach Hartley, instructor and artistic director for the Mt. Hood theatre program.

The cast was excellent, and the costumes fit each character perfectly, showing off the talent involved. However, I found some parts of the play to be a bit condescending. The story was hard to follow at times, and though it aimed to make the audience rethink bureaucracy’s silliness, the delivery didn’t always work. There weren’t many laughs from the audience, and some moments meant to be humorous fell flat.

That said, the cast brought energy to their roles, and each character had standout moments.
One thing I appreciated about the stage reading format is how it makes theatre more accessible, particularly for people with disabilities. A friend who has difficulty seeing expressed joy at being able to follow the play as it was read aloud. That aspect truly made the performance feel inclusive and meaningful.

On a critical note, the play ran from 7 to 9:45 p.m. with a 15 -minute break, which felt too long for the material. With all due respect, as just a regular viewer, I believe the story could have been condensed into an hour and still been brilliant. Shortening the runtime would have made the play more engaging and impactful.

Mary Nashed