A major figure in contemporary drama, Ionesco is linked by the themes and techniques of his plays to the ‘Theatre of the Absurd.’ He creates darkly comic portraits of the human condition by exploring such themes as alienation, the impossibility of communication between human beings, and the destructive forces of modern society. Ionesco’s drama is experimental. He replaces the traditional structure of the plot, action and denouncement with an oneiric drama composed of contradictions, nonsensical dialogue and bizarre images and situations. He often draws upon his own dreams for dramatic material. Says director Ananda Lal: “Ionesco’s Massacre Game (1970) seemed the right thing to stage last year, in an India cleft by communal violence. Looking for a relevant text, I decided to apply Ionesco’s ominous satire of fascism elsewhere to this absurd drama where people surrealistically start dying in a city. It has no story, just many scenes; but they form a theme, that a disease stalks all of us.” Curiously enough, five productions of this play were put up across the world in 2002. This, premiered by Jadavpur University’s Department of English in December, was the sixth; a seventh is scheduled in Iran this year. This is the last performance, sponsored by Alliance Francaise.

When: Today; 6.30 pm

Where: Max Mueller Bhavan