Walsh Michelle October 11, 2009 Theater 100 Play Performance Worksheet Name of play: The Bald Soprano Playwright: Eugene Ionesco Director: Tom Martin Date of attendance: October 11, 2009 Genre: Absurd Plot: 1. There is a couple with the name of Smith who live in London. The Smiths invite another couple over to their house for dinner. When the Martins arrive the Smiths go to change and leave the Martins alone. While the Martins sit together they go through a long conversation just to realize that they are married. The fire chief comes over to the house and the five of them converse, sharing stories and poems. It is then that it is revealed that the maid and the fire chief are lovers. Before the fire chief exits he mentions the Bald Soprano and after that the Smiths and Martins speak in shambles. The four seems to go crazy, taking their clothes off and speaking without making sense. 2. The Martins and Smiths are the protagonists. 3. The fire chief and maid are the antagonists. 4. The Martins and Smiths are shocked to see that the fire chief and maid are lovers. While this seems to bring shock and awe, it is not until the mention of the Bald Soprano that the reality becomes absurd. 5. The Smiths and Martins are at the Smith residence at the beginning of the play. While there conversations seem odd, they still make some sense. 6. The arrival of the fire chief upsets the balance. 7. Although I am not completely sure, I believe that when the fire chief mentions the Bald Soprano is the climax. 8. The Martins, the Smiths, and the fire chief have been babbling stories one to another which brings upon the mention of the Bald Soprano.
9. The definition of a resolution is when the balance is restored. However I do not believe balance was found again. The Martins and Smiths run around yelling short sentences taking their clothes off. Once the four are in their undergarments the Smiths leave the stage and the Martins are sitting and discussing what the Smiths were discussing at the beginning of the play. 10. The affair between the fire chief and the maid is a small subplot of the play. Character: Mrs. Martin is a mother and a wife although it takes a long time for her to realize it. I do not feel that it affected her much considering she did not even remember. The character is first revealed when the maid welcomes in the Martins. Theme/Thought: Because the beginning and the end begin exactly the same, the play suggests that in society and person can easily be replaced by another. Humans do not have individual meaning. Spectacle: The Martins and the Smiths wear the exact same outfits. The outfits match the chairs and the chairs match the wallpaper. There seems to be little difference between people and between people and objects. The lighting is dim with two lamps that wind up on the floor. The set is a typical home of London in the 1950s. Language/Melody: English is the spoken language. However it would hardly be called a conversation. There was a slight English accent throughout the play. Non sequiturs are used throughout the entirety of the play. Although the characters speak it is not as if they are speaking to one another.