Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist play, The Bald Soprano, is a 60-minute, comical take on suburban malaise and British social conventions. Take that premise, repeat it two dozen times, and you have the Brat Productions version: A 24-hour The Bald Soprano.
The cast of six–among them Penn theatre vet Victoria Frings C’08–will perform non-stop from 8 p.m. on Jan. 22 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, with the play’s two couples switching roles after each hour-long performance. (For ticketing info, click here.)
And why would these actors subject themselves to such extreme exhaustion and repetition? Per Brat Productions:
A 24-Hour THE BALD SOPRANO is meant to be more than just another hour or two (or ten?) of entertainment. Yes, you will find scenery, costumes, lights, and actors telling stories—just like most “regular” plays. But we also hope that being here at odd hours, seeing multiple performances and witnessing the sheer endurance of the actors will make for a truly memorable experience. Above all, we hope the show will resonate with you, and that the “daily grind” faced by the characters (and the actors playing them!) will inspire you to keep on, keepin’ on.