THE BALD SOPRANO

The Bald Soprano is filled with nonsensical dialogue and irrational behavior of its characters. Edward Lear, a famous writer, composed poetry and prose that was well known for its nonsensical humor and imaginative use of language.  Below is an example of one of his limericks.  More can be found here.








There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!'

For other nonsensical literature that will get you in the mood for Ionesco's wild world and words, take a look at A Blog of Bosh.

---

The Bald Soprano is an absurdist play about the deterioration of language to the point where words have lost their meaning. Ionesco was inspired by the tone and banality of the instructors on language records and modeled his characters' dialogue in the play after the same style. Here are some clips from the BBC series, Muzzy, a children's program meant to teach pre-schoolers a new language:

---

Monty Python is a great example of absurdist comedy. Take a look at some great clips where the breakdown in communication can have hilarious (if not disastrous) consequences—not unlike what happens to Ionesco's characters in The Bald Soprano.

---

MAD Magazine is a publication known for its absurd and humorous cartoons. Here is a cartoon from their book, MAD: NEUMANISMS, that plays on words:

---

Absurdism isn't just limited to words and videos--it's also found in art. The Surrealist school was started in 1924 by André Breton and sought to create art that subverted reality and couldn't be understood through logic. The movement gained popularity after World War II, when the world was reeling from the consequences of two world wars, and many, especially in Europe, were disillusioned with life and unsure of whether it or not it had any meaning. Below are some works of French surrealist René Magritte. For more examples of surrealist artists and art, click here. 

*This is not a pipe.* La Trahison des Images (The Treachery of Images), René Magritte


Les Valeurs Personelles (Personal Values), René Magritte

Do the clouds look familiar? Well, they should. Magritte's famous clouds serve as the floor of the stage in The Bald Soprano.