Delta State University’s Delta Players present Eugene Ionesco’s absurdist classic “The Bald Soprano” Nov. 17-20 with performances in Jobe Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free with Delta State identification and $7 general admission.
Ionesco, a Romanian who was also fluent in French, conceived the idea for play while attempting to learn English. While studying an English primer, he began to see the basics of language — and the way language is taught — as increasingly absurd. “The Bald Soprano” is the fascinating result of that idea.
While the performance is unquestionably a complex, difficult work, it is also a riotous exploration on the mysteries of time and the very nature of existence.
Synopsis
Set in a middle-class English household, “The Bald Soprano” presents a dinner party hosted by Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Their guests, Mr. & Mrs. Martin, show up several hours late. Or do they? Perhaps they had been waiting on the doorstep all along, but were afraid to enter because the Smith’s maid, Mary, failed to let them in.
Mary spent a pleasant afternoon at the cinema, supposedly with the Smith’s permission, although the Smiths seem quite upset to learn that their guests had been on their doorstep for nearly four hours. Later, the Fire Chief arrives and after a series of increasingly bizarre stories, everything — meaning, reason, and even language itself — falls apart.
Michael Ewing, with the Department of Languages and Literatures, directs a cast comprised of both students and members of the Cleveland community.
Production Team
-Director Michael Ewing
-Stage Manager Kristin Johnson
-Lighting Design Michael Ewing and Noah Lelek
-Sound Design Michael Ewing
-Sound Editing Miles Fulwider
-Set & Costume Design Kristin Johnson
-Original Poster Design Sanmi Oyenuga and Cameron Griffin
-Original Furniture Mike Stanley & Chase Tubbs
-Photography Delta State’s intermediate photography class
-Grad Assistant Lindsay Marter
Cast
Role Performer
-Mr. Smith Colton Andrews, Lucas Braswell
-Mrs. Smith Shera Phillips, Sarah LaBue
-Mr. Martin Lucas Braswell, Cameron Griffin
-Mrs. Martin Sarah LaBue, Drew Braswell
-Mary, the Maid Hallye Skillion, Jasmine Cleark, Donavon McClung
-The Fire Chief Donavon McClung, Hallye Skillion, Jasmine Cleark
*** This production is for all audiences, with reservations. There are a few adult situations and some modest language. For more information, contact the department at 662-846-4060.
