The Maids

Although The Maids is as long and complex as a multiact play, Genet wrote it in one act with no scene divisions. The play occurs in real time with no breaks in action. Imagine that you are an audience member who is watching the play. How does this structure contribute to the way the play functions? How would act or scene breaks change the play’s effect?

Research absurdism and the Theatre of the Absurd. How is The Maids an example of absurdism? What conventions of absurdism do you see in the play, and how does it fit the philosophy of absurdism?

There are several striking symbols in the play. Which do you think would be the most memorable if you saw the play onstage? Where does the symbol manifest in the play, and what do you think it signifies?