A Comedy Showcase
MARCH 2014
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The Bald Soprano was Eugene Ionesco’s first play and was directed by Neville Powis.
Although Ionesco had set out to write a tragedy of language, his friends found the little play very amusing and encouraged him to submit it to a theater for production. Monique Saint-Come, one of these friends, showed the play to Nicolas Bataille, the director of a group of avant-garde actors working in Paris. On May 11, 1950, The Bald Soprano premiered at the Théâtre des Noctambules under the direction of Bataille. Although it went unnoticed at first, the play was eventually championed by a few established writers and critics and, in the end, won critical acclaim. By the 1960s, The Bald Soprano had already been recognized as a modern classic and an important seminal work in the Theatre of the Absurd. |
The play begins with the Smiths sitting around in their living room talking about a lot of nothing. Mrs. Smith recounts to her husband all the things that have happened that evening, even though he was there. Next they discuss a family in which everyone is named Bobby Watson. The Smiths seem to forget from moment to moment whether a certain Bobby Watson is alive or dead.
The Smith's maid, Mary, arrives and announces that the Martins are waiting outside. Mr. and Mrs. Smith hurry upstairs to change clothes. Mary shows the Martins into the living room, yells at them for being late, and then exits. |
Watch The Gate's production of The Bald Soprano >>> |
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