The Tulsa Community College (TCC) Theatre Department invites college students and the community to its upcoming productions of Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist classics “The Bald Soprano” and “The Chairs” to be presented in November.
The fall plays will be shown Nov. 13-16 in the PACE Studio Theatre on the TCC SE campus, 10300 E. 81st St. The Nov. 13, 14, and 15 productions will begin at 8 p.m., and the Nov. 16 performance will start at 2 p.m.
Both plays fall under the genre of Absurdist theatre, which portrays the meaningless nature of human existence in an irrational universe. This style often features illogical plots, nonsensical dialogue, and no clear resolution. Emerging after World War II, Absurdist theatre reflects postwar disillusionment and highlights themes of alienation and the futility of human effort through stylized and non-realistic presentations.
“The Bald Soprano” by Eugène Ionesco is a one-act Absurdist play that satirizes the emptiness of modern communication and middle-class life. The play begins with an English couple, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, engaging in a meaningless conversation filled with clichés and trivial facts. Soon, their friends, the Martins, arrive — only to “discover” after a long, circular conversation that they are actually married and live together.
A fire chief then enters, looking for fires to extinguish but finding none, and tells a series of nonsensical stories. As the play continues, dialogue becomes increasingly chaotic and illogical, breaking down completely into random phrases and shouted words. The play ends by repeating its opening scene, but with the Martins taking the Smiths’ place, suggesting that the cycle of meaningless communication will go on forever. Overall, “The Bald Soprano” exposes the absurdity of everyday speech and the failure of language to create genuine human connection.
“The Chairs” by Eugène Ionesco is an Absurdist one-act play about an elderly couple who live in isolation on an island. The Old Man and the Old Woman spend their days reminiscing about their past and preparing for an important event: the Old Man has invited a large audience to hear his “great message” that will give meaning to his life and to humanity.
As the guests begin to “arrive,” the couple frantically sets out more and more chairs — but all the guests are invisible. The couple carries on lively conversations with these imagined visitors, creating the illusion of a crowded, bustling room. Finally, the long-awaited “orator” arrives — the only real guest — to deliver the Old Man’s message.
However, when he begins to speak, his words are incomprehensible and gibberish. In despair, the Old Man and Old Woman throw themselves out the window, leaving the stage filled only with empty chairs and meaningless noise. The play is a tragicomic reflection on loneliness, the search for purpose, and the ultimate futility of human communication.
For tickets, call (918) 595-7777 or go to https://pacetickets.tulsacc.edu/events. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.
