What are we actually saying when we speak? Are the words that we are saying actually meaningful? What does a normal conversation consist of?

In Old Main Chapel on Friday and Saturday, these thoughts were likely in many of the audience’s minds.

“The Bald Soprano,” an anti-play, was based around the topic of human communication. The anti-play was written by Eugène Ionesco in 1950. Ionesco’s play has been acclaimed around the world. The play also started a new form of theater: the Theatre of the Absurd.

The anti-play was performed on the same level as where the audience was sitting. The audience and stage were surrounded by a curtain that gave the show a very intimate feeling. Minimal props and lighting also helped to bring a sense that you actually knew the characters in the play.

“The Bald Soprano,” directed by James Wright, was set in modern day New York City. The play was filled with superb acting by the entire cast. One could tell that the actors and director had a great time rehearsing and performing a high quality production.

“The Bald Soprano” may have left a few people in the audience confused, but that might have been the purpose. The play was designed to make something out of nothing. It displayed what might have seemed like a bunch of gibberish, but in all actuality, there was meaning behind all of it.

Ionesco wrote the play during his attempts to learn English. “The Bald Soprano” is meant to represent that sometimes when we are talking, we do not say much at all.

The conversations in the play ended up nowhere. Most of the conversations were filled with humor, and the audience really enjoyed the kind of humor that was in the play.

One could say that, at first, the play left many confused, but as the production continued more and more of the audience were on board with the absurdist play.

It was a sign that “The Bald Soprano” was doing exactly what it sought to do. The audience was left to think about the meaningless conversations and decipher what the underlying meaning behind them was.

“The Bald Soprano” put a spotlight on a topic that we do not usually think about and it spoke to the audience in a different way than usual. Instead of having a clear plot and storyline, it left the plot up to the audience. Leaving meaning out of the story usually would not work with a play, but here, it truly works.

“The Bald Soprano” was more than a play. It was an experience. At the end of the performance, most of the audience was speechless. They witnessed a thought-provoking piece that was meant to leave the audience confused, but with a sense of understanding. It did just that. 

Share