Eugène IonescoI·o·nes·co, Eu·gène /ˌiːəˈneskəʊ juːˈʒiːn / (1912–94) a French writer of plays, born in Romania, who wrote about the meaningless lives of human beings and their difficulty in communicating with each other. This type of play was known as the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’. Ionesco’s plays include The Bald Prima Donna, Rhinoceros, and The Chairs.