3 || Ang Tatay Mong Kalbo

The Bald Soprano 

These pictures are taken from the play (The Bald Soprano)

09 October 2015, 

We've watched a play in Multi Purpose Hall,  around 2 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the ushers didn't allow us to take pictures of the main characters from the play. But, they assure to the audience that the show was all worth it. And yes, they were right about it.

In most plays, words are deep and chosen but, The Bald Soprano, does not. In most plays, has plots and subplots but, The Bald Soprano, does not. For me, the play was unique yet, it is really hard to understand. Why? simple, the words are nonsense, hopeless and illogical.

Our Professor in World Literature told us to watch the play because, we will not understand the story. After she told about the play, I asked myself, why the title was The Bald Soprano even though, the characters are aren't bald at all? This question popped out from my mind. The truth is, it is subtitled an "anti-play" and that is true. The story was written by Eugene Ionesco, a Romanian-born French dramatist whose inspired a revolution dramatic techniques and helped inaugurated the The Theatre of the Absurd. 

Eugene Ionesco (Born on November 26, 1909 - March 24, 1994)

The scene is the English living room of an English couple, the Smiths. Since, the Teatro Phileo made a play written in Filipino. So, from the scene, they were married couple, the Santos. Mr. Santos was reading a newspaper on the chair whilst, his wife was telling about the food and the food was delicious. Mrs. Santos told that the water was good and her husband agreed at her. And they always, talked about the same line. See? that's why people are confused because, the lines are redundant. Yet, it was entertaining, too. Gin San Juan was the person they always talked about, too. Even though, it made our mind blown. Boom!

The rest of the play is in keeping in with this introductory segment. Maria, the maid of the Santos. She introduced the two visitors, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes. From that scene, it was only the two of them talking in the living room. The point is, they've already met before but, they didn't know that they were couple. So, Mrs. Reyes always says, What a coincidence!. Mr. Reyes told about his child that have a one red eye and white one, and so as Mrs. Reyes. In the end, Mrs. Reyes always ended with a word, coincidence. 

After Dinner, the Santos sit down and they allow their guests to sit and talk about life of someone. The problem from the introductory segment is they always change the topic of a person or thing then, they go another for a deep words. Whilst, they were talking and laughing, someone rang the doorbell. Mrs. Santos said that she will open for the person who wants to come in. Then, she saw nothing and decided to go back to her chair and continued the story. On the second ring, she did it again and saw nothing. On the third ring, she saw nothing, again. So, she spoke up and told her husband that nobody was outside of their house but, her husband refused and he said, When someone rings the doorbell, someone was there outside! But, his wife neglected and shot back, No, it wasn't! You guys always thought that you're always right but, the truth is you're always wrong! And the crowd, 'oooohhh' But, if you could asked me the same question, I would totally agree on what she said.

And when Mr. Santos volunteered himself that he'll check the person outside, he laughed and proud of himself. He let the person in and it was the fire chief. They were all shocked. Sooner or later, Mrs. Santos offered the fire chief to drink a cup of coffee. He asked few questions at him and its obvious that he wasn't sure about his answer. The moment he was speaking, he saw Maria. The heaven's gate is finally open and the world seems that is full of joy and happiness. The two of them filled with love. The Santos was shocked about the affair of the two people.

The reason why the fire chief couldn't tell the whole story it's because, he got scared to tell it to anyone.

It was short yet unquestionable reasons why did they always end up in a short topic. After many questions to the fire chief, each one of them told about stories on snakes, fire, the cow and the carabao and so on. Furthermore, the play was epic and one time, Mr. Reyes asked Mrs. Santos about her bald father and she immediately answered,

After all, my father was always combing his hair.


And I quote, "No society has been able to abolish human sadness, no political system can deliver us from the pain of living, from our fear of death, our thirst for the absolute. It is the human condition that directs the social condition, not vice versa." ~ Eugene Ionesco






-Krystelle