I have been reading Eugene Ionesco’s The Chairs – A Tragic Farce, in the service of a play that I am writing called, The Tragedy of the Bull. Ionesco because he is a master of the Theater of the Absurd. Absurd because my play is existential. Existential in the sense that life is meaningless and man’s relationship to life is absurd. I often read other plays when I am writing for inspiration. Now, here is where the tricky part comes in. This play was written in 1950. I have never read it before. Many eerie similarities are revealed in The Chairs that are relevant to my life and my play. For instance, here is a bit of dialogue from The Tragedy of the Bull:

                                                                  OLD MAN

Do you believe in coincidence, Maria?

                                                                   MARIA

I have heard of coincidences, senor, but no, I don’t really believe in them.

OLD MAN

Neither do I. But I do believe in synchronicity. I connect the dots and look for patterns and when I see them, I pay attention. They are like signposts guiding my way. And that is what ultimately led me here. To you. Tonight.                 

MARIA

What are you talking about?

                                                                   OLD MAN

I have a picture of Silvia Morales in my apartment that was painted by my friend Diane Kahlo.       

                                                                     MARIA

Oh, that is a coincidence, Old Man.

                                                                    OLD MAN

You must let me march with you. I will carry the portrait of Silvia Morales in the parade while marching by your side.

                                                                     MARIA

Si. I think it is a good idea senor. We will march together.

The main character in my play is named Old Man. The main character in The Chairs is named Old Man. The conversation between the Old Man and Maria is about coincidence and synchronicity. That is what I found to be strange about some of the references in The Chairs besides the fact the two main characters have the same name. There are other points of synchronicity.

Such as: The Old Man in the Chairs claims to be a general factotum. He makes a running joke of it as if he is an actual general. Part of the essence of the absurd is the contradictory construction of the language. Words used together that have the opposite meanings. Here’s where the coincidence comes in. For years I have claimed to be a “factotum” as a joke. I put it in my bios, and it is on my Facebook page.  I originally got the idea from a book I read by Charles Bukowski entitled, Factotum. There is also a movie based on the book of the same title starring Matt Dillon. I, of course, identified with the main character and to a certain extent Charles Bukowski himself and I adopted the name “factotum” for myself. Years ago.

What else? There are other points of synchronicity that I will reference, although the whole play seems oddly familiar.  First, the Old Man says, “It’s all a marvelous dream.” This is the main theme of The Tragedy of the Bull. Most of the play is a dream sequence The Old Man is having while he dies. One of my characters says, “Truth and illusion, Ron, you don’t seem to know the difference.”  This indicates that what we are seeing might be a dream or an illusion.

The Old Man says, “I’m proud of it…proud and humble.”

Another one of my stock phrases is, “I’m right happy, humble, and proud to be here…” I say this whenever I am called upon to make a speech. I love the contradictory paradoxical nature of the construction of it. How can you be proud and humble at the same time? Brilliant! Now, I stole this saying directly from a past governor of Texas who always began his speeches, “I am right happy, humble, and proud to be here tonight.” Governor John Connely. When I first heard him say that I was tickled pink. I’m not sure he realized the irony of it, but I sure did and I have been using it ever since. For years.

The Old Man says, “In order to forget I went in for sports…for mountain climbing. I wanted to travel, I wanted to cross the river, they burned my bridges.” I was never one for sports but I did like the sport of Mountain climbing. I have done quite a lot of hiking and I have claimed some modest mountains. On my bucket list has always been MT. Kilimanjaro.  Traveling has also been my passion and I have traveled extensively around the world. And lastly, I have crossed many rivers. I have lived for years along the Ohio and the Delaware Rivers.

Coincidence? I think not. Like Maria, I don’t believe in coincidence. But I do believe in Synchronicity. After three points of synchronicity are chalked up on the board, I see a pattern and from that pattern, I derive a meaning. It is perhaps the only meaning I find in a meaningless universe.