In the theater of Dallas College North Lake Campus, a play of Eugene Ionesco’s “The Bald Soprano” took place. The performance lasted for almost an hour and was played every evening. from April 17-20.
The show was directed by Mac Lower who is from NLC. One the reasons he chose to direct the play was because of the themes which are still relatable to this day.
“The Bald Soprano” in English is a 1950 absurdist play by Eugène Ionesco and a seminal work of the Theatre of the Absurd movement. The show begins with Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Camilo Ramos and Isabel Rojo, respectively) sitting in their home having an average conversation about nothing much.
The show continues to portray the ridiculousness and emptiness of modern life. The Smiths engage in nonsensical conversations filled with clichés. Mrs. Smith babbles on about this and that while Mr. Smith is reading on his phone with a fatalist’s appreciation of how pathetic it’s all getting.
The guests are expected soon and hopefully they may bring something interesting.
When Mr. and Mrs. Martin, (Eduardo Espinoza and Nicolle Lopez Rodriguez) arrive, they are left to amuse themselves. Their interaction only serves to further highlight the breakdown of communication and the absurdity of societal norms.
One of the ingenious differences in this play compared to the other performances that we see on YouTube and anywhere else was the use of chorus which was done by Cecilia Nguyen, Katelyn Steffen, Indrias Haddid, and David Douglas.
This change added more dynamic and humor to the play which also kept audiences more engaged. The audiences were chuckling at every joke they were making.
We are also introduced to the maid (Alyssa Hicks) and a fireman (Larry English). which then adds more chaos to the scene.
Everyone tells jokes and little stories that make no sense are so absurd that make your brain itch.
For instance, Mrs. Martin describes how a man was tying his shoes. But everyone laughs vigorously, not out of politeness but to maintain their so-called exciting life.
The set design was very minimalistic, which effectively conveyed the dull household of Smith’s family. For me, the most memorable scene occurred when the characters engaged in nonsensical exchange about the meaning of life.
The lightning setup was executed flawlessly which enhanced the surrealism in the atmosphere.
While there were fewer sound elements, the chorus did a perfect job to draw out laughter from the audiences.
The creative and technical staff included: Erika Tajeda as a stage manager, Brittany Young as production coordinator, James Gammill as a set designer, Delilah Crawford as a costume designer, Michael Mckee as a lighting designer, Patrick Crawford as a master carpenter, Sam Nuckolls as a light board operator, James Gammill and JT Tyler as a technical coordinator, Jak Blythe as a Theatre Technician.
When it comes to the audience, the reactions were positive with frequent laughter and giggling.
The show ended with enthusiastic applause and with a standing ovation from the audience.
Overall, “The Bald Soprano” performance by the NLC cast was a delightful and thought-provoking experience. With its humor and profound existential themes, this production serves as a proof to the relevance of Ionesco’s work.
