Theatre of the Absurd (Ionesco)

I haven't seen all that many productions of Eugene Ionesco's plays, and indeed, the only two that tend to be put on in North America are La Cantatrice Chauve (The Bald Soprano) and Rhinoceros.  I think The Lesson used to be put on more often (and is still constantly on view in Paris), but the power dynamics are just so uncomfortable (and the huge number of trigger warnings required) that it isn't worth it any longer.  And maybe that's ok.  I don't think The Lesson has nearly as much to teach us today as it used to.  (I don't recall the production, but apparently I did see The Lesson back in 1997!)

In any event, I saw The Bald Soprano in Chicago in 1999, and I probably saw Rhinoceros (though it is possible I am confusing this with a video version I had to watch for French class in undergrad).  Seven Siblings did Rhinoceros a season or two ago, but I wasn't able to make it.  I can rectify that this season, however.

I stumbled across a review of Théâtre français de Toronto's current production of La Cantatrice Chauve and decided it was worth checking out.  What swung the decision is that most evenings, they were running the show with English surtitles.  While the dialogue is generally kept to fairly basic French, I am certainly not strong enough to follow along without some guidance.  I went on Wed., and it was a well done performance with the cast really throwing themselves into the part.  (There was a minute or two gap when the surtitles went out, but fortunately it was a stretch where they were just echoing lines back and forth.)  There are three performances left, and two of them will be surtitles, so you'll have to jump on this if interested.  More information here.

Then in April, George Brown will be doing Rhinoceros.  This should be a fairly straight-forward production, and I'm quite likely to bring my son along.  More information here.

I will say that of the three, I prefer Rhinoceros as the underlying meaning (or "moral" as it were), warning of the dangers of creeping totalitarianism or authoritarianism, is just as relevant today.  The point of The Bald Soprano, to the extent there is one, is about the limits of language to communicate anything fundamental, or perhaps rather there is such a chasm between what one says and one's inner state.  At least that's my take on it, and I'm not really convinced this particular play is the best representation of these ideas.