The Bald Soprano
Subtitle: anti-play, followed by an unpublished scene
By: followed by an unpublished scene. Translated by Donald M. Allen. Typographical interpretations by Massin and photographic interpretations by Henry Cohen. Based on the Nicolas Bataille production, with the collaboration of the actors of the Theatre de la Huchette
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: 1965
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Translated from: fre
Translation of: La Cantatrice chauve
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 300
Other titles: The Bald Prima Donna
Description: The Bald Soprano Anti-play, Followed By an Unpublished Scene. Translated by Donald A. Allen, Typographical interpretations by Massin and Photographic interpretations by Henry Cohen (Based on the Nicolas Bataille Paris Production). New Grove Press Inc., 1965. Hardcover in pictorial DJ. 4to, unpaginated. First English language edition of this typographic interpretation of Ionesco's first dramatic work, the point of origin of absurdist theater. Designed throughout by experimental typographer Massin, who was also responsible for the design of Raymond Queneau's "Cent mille milliards de poemes", in which each line of poetry is printed on a separate strip of paper, forming a huge exquisite corps of words. These two book designs are considered the height of Massin's output. "In his design... each character is indicated not by name, but by a line image next to the speech which he is to utter. The shape of the words is distorted so as to give emphasis to the sound of the speech. By using techniques which fall somewhere between those of the cinema and the comic strip, he ensures that, in the dialogue, the primary constituents of word and image are balanced in a way that heightens the meaning of the play." [Gerald Woods et al., "Art Without Boundaries", pp. 148-9].
Notes: Translation of La cantatrice chauve