The Maids

One of the common conventions of absurdist plays is the instability and inconsistency of character identities. The idea of the cohesive self is just an illusion. Through roleplay, Claire and Solange become Madame and Claire, but they are only portraying their characters through the lens of their own interpretations. And even through these interpretations, the conflicts between Claire and Solange as sisters emerge and peek through. Through Madame, Claire enacts her own desires to see herself as beautiful and to punish Solange for dragging her into the dirt. And through Claire, Solange performs her desires to receive the punishment she feels she deserves, to bring Madame down, and to humble her sister.

The three women’s identities change through roleplay and through abrupt switches in character. Solange and Claire tempestuously trade places as dominant and submissive, enraged and calm, murderous and mild. Neither is stable nor consistent in their attitudes and mannerisms. They simply change to counter each other, always in opposition. When Madame first enters, she is the opposite of Claire’s portrayal of her. Whereas Claire interprets her as a cruel, abusive tyrant, Madame is initially kind, generous, and concerned for her maids’ well-being.