"One of the raisons why “The Bald Soprano” has been given that title, is precisely because there is in it definitely no soprano at all, bald or hairy. " - Eugène Ionesco, Eugene Ionesco, “Notes and counter-notes

 

La Cantatrice Chauve — translated from French as The Bald Soprano or The Bald Prima Donna — is the first play written by Romanian-French playwright Eugène Ionesco.

 

It holds the world record for the play that has been staged continuously in the same theatre for the longest time. 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. With a record number of interpretations, it has become one of the most performed plays in France.

 

Overview
The Smiths are a traditional couple from London who have invited another couple, the Martins, over for a visit. They are joined later by the Smiths' maid, Mary, and the local fire chief, who is also Mary's lover. The two families engage in meaningless banter, telling stories and relating nonsensical poems. At one point, Mrs. Martin converses with her husband as if he were a stranger she just met. As the fire chief turns to leave, he mentions "the bald soprano" in passing, which has a very unsettling effect on the others. Mrs. Smith replies that "she always styles her hair the same way." After the Fire Chief's exit, the play devolves into a series of complete non-sequiturs with no resemblance to normal conversation. It ends with the two couples shouting in unison "It's not that way. It's over here!" ("C’est pas par là, c’est par ici!" ) right before a blackout occurs. When the lights come back on, the scene starts from the beginning with the Martins reciting the Smiths' lines from the beginning of the play for a while before the curtain closes.

 

 

Director: Pierre Pradinas

Passionate as he is by working with actors, Pierre Pradinas also loved transmission. In 1990 he was co-founder, with Niels Arestrup, of the Ecole du Passage. Since then he lead many workshops, including AFDAS workshops. From1995 to 1997 he taught drama at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre (ENSATT). At the same time as directing the Théâtre de l’Union, he headed, from 2008 to 2014, the Académie, Ecole Supérieure Professionnelle de Théâtre du Limousin.

 

 

Starring: Maloue Fourdrinier