The Dramatic Form Of Absurd Theatre PDF

#### The Dramatic Form of Absurd Theatre - **Form Matches Content:**\ While philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus explain absurdity in their writings, Esslin argues that Theatre of the Absurd connects the idea of absurdity with a dramatic form. **How Absurd Plays Work:*...

#### The Dramatic Form of Absurd Theatre - **Form Matches Content:**\ While philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus explain absurdity in their writings, Esslin argues that Theatre of the Absurd connects the idea of absurdity with a dramatic form. **How Absurd Plays Work:** - The words characters say often don't match what's happening on stage. - These plays don't have clear stories or familiar characters. - They feel more like dreams or nightmares. - They don't always have a beginning or an end - ~~Lack traditional storylines, recognizable characters~~ - incoherent dialogue ### Criticism of Esslin's Label - **Oversimplification:**\ Labeling plays as "absurd" often reduces them to a single theme, ignoring the variety of ideas and themes these playwrights explore. Their works span decades and address much more than just absurdity. - **Edward Albee's Critique:**\ Albee highlights the problem with labels like "Theatre of the Absurd." He says, ### Beyond Esslin - **Why Absurdism Exists:**\ Absurdism is often seen as a response to the terrible events of World War II and the Holocaust. Many people wondered: How could such horrors happen? Where was God? It made the world feel senseless and meaningless. - **Examples in Absurd Literature:** - Kafka's endless struggles, the missing Godot in *Waiting for Godot*, and the threats in Pinter's plays all show how confusing and meaningless life can seem. - Martin Esslin said these plays are about the "senselessness of life" and the deep pain people feel when life doesn't make sense. - **Finding Meaning in the Absurd:** - Despite their focus on life's lack of meaning, these plays also suggest that people can create meaning for themselves. - In *Waiting for Godot*, Vladimir and Estragon find purpose in each other, helping each other pass the time. - Pinter's plays show how people fail to truly communicate, warning the audience not to make the same mistakes. **The Language of Absurdism:**\ Absurdist language reflects the senselessness of the Word. But it also encourages people to find their own meaning in life. ### The Origins of the Absurd - **Reactions to Realism:**\ In the 20th century, many artistic movements challenged traditional ideas about art. They questioned how best to show truth. -  Realism became popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It focused on showing life as it really is. In theatre, realism showed everyday people, speaking naturally, living ordinary lives. It was like looking through a "fourth wall" into real life. - But some artists wondered: Does showing people's daily lives really reveal the deeper truth about them? - **Moving Beyond Realism:**\ Many avant-garde movements wanted to focus on people's inner lives rather than just their outward reality. While realism captured external behavior and speech well, it often struggled to show the complex emotions and thoughts inside people. ### Avant-Garde Precursors - **Expressionism:**\ Expressionism began in Germany and **was one of the first attempts in theatre to show what people feel and think inside,** rather than just what happens on the outside. - **Dadaism:**\ **Dadaism focused on nonsense and chaos, rejecting the logic and order of realism.** It was a reaction to the failures of rational thought, which many believed led to World War I. Dadaism was an anti-war, anti-traditional, and anti-middle-class art movement. - **Surrealism:**\ Surrealism grew out of Dadaism but took a more positive approach. Instead of attacking traditional ideas, **surrealism focused on freeing the imagination.** By **exploring dreams, free association, and the unconscious mind, surrealists believed they could better understand human thought and improve the world.** - **Influence on Absurd Writers:**\ Eugene Ionesco said surrealism and Dadaism had a huge impact on his and Samuel Beckett's work. In an interview, he explained that these movements changed how language could be used and inspired their writing. - **Not All Avant-Garde is Absurd:**\ Just because a play challenges traditional theatre doesn't mean it's absurdist. **Absurdist playwrights often experiment with language, moving away from realistic or traditional dialogue**. - In *Waiting for Godot*, Beckett uses random, disconnected conversations (non-sequiturs). - Pinter uses pauses and small, everyday questions to focus on what characters aren't saying. - Many playwrights, like Albee, Ionesco, and Pinter, were influenced by Beckett's approach. - **Tragicomedy:**\ Absurdist plays often mix tragedy and comedy, creating a genre called tragicomedy. These plays are both sad and funny at the same time. **Strange Situations:**\ Absurdist plays place characters in unique, often bizarre situations. These situations are: - Kafkaesque (like the strange worlds in Franz Kafka's works) - Surreal (dream-like or illogical) - Ridiculous (both funny and strange) ### Avant-Garde Precursors - **Expressionism:**\ Expressionism began in Germany and was one of the first attempts in theatre to show what people feel and think inside, rather than just what happens on the outside. - **Dadaism:**\ Dadaism focused on nonsense and chaos, rejecting the logic and order of realism. It was a reaction to the failures of rational thought, which many believed led to World War I. Dadaism was an anti-war, anti-traditional, and anti-middle-class art movement. - **Surrealism:**\ Surrealism grew out of Dadaism but took a more positive approach. Instead of attacking traditional ideas, surrealism focused on freeing the imagination. By exploring dreams, free association, and the unconscious mind, surrealists believed they could better understand human thought and improve the world. - **Influence on Absurd Writers:**\ Eugene Ionesco said surrealism and Dadaism had a huge impact on his and Samuel Beckett's work. In an interview, he explained that these movements changed how language could be used and inspired their writing. - **Not All Avant-Garde is Absurd:**\ Just because a play challenges traditional theatre doesn't mean it's absurdist. ### Defining the Absurd - **Radical Language:**\ Absurdist playwrights often experiment with language, moving away from realistic or traditional dialogue. - In *Waiting for Godot*, Beckett uses random, disconnected conversations (non-sequiturs). - Pinter uses pauses and small, everyday questions to focus on what characters aren't saying. - Many playwrights, like Albee, Ionesco, and Pinter, were influenced by Beckett's approach. - **Strange Situations:**\ Absurdist plays place characters in unique, often bizarre situations. These situations are: - Kafkaesque (like the strange worlds in Franz Kafka's works) - Surreal (dream-like or illogical) - Ridiculous (both funny and strange) - **Tragicomedy:**\ Absurdist plays often mix tragedy and comedy, creating a genre called tragicomedy. These plays are both sad and funny at the same time. ### Key Features of Absurd Literature 1. **Language Experiments:**\ Absurd plays often reject realistic dialogue and explore new ways of using language. 2. **Tragicomedy:**\ The plays mix serious and comic elements. 3. **Non-Traditional Plots:**\ Many absurdist plays avoid traditional storytelling. Instead of having clear beginnings, middles, and ends, their plots may resemble parables (simple, symbolic stories). 4. **Strange Settings:**\ These works are often set in unusual, surreal, or ridiculous situations. - **Breaking the Rules of Traditional Theatre:** - Absurdist plays often skip exposition (background information). Instead, characters simply appear, and the story starts without explanation. - The plays avoid the typical rise-and-fall structure of traditional stories, making their narratives feel flat or unpredictable. - **Creating Absurdity:**\ Experimenting with language and plot helps create the feeling of absurdity. The lack of a clear backstory or traditional narrative arc emphasizes the strange, confusing world of these plays. ### Defining the Absurd - **Aristotle's Narrative Arcs:**\ Aristotle described two main types of story structures in his *Poetics*: - **Tragedy:** A story where tension builds to a climax, and the hero's downfall follows. - **Comedy:** A story where things fall apart for the main characters but eventually resolve into a happy ending. - **How Absurd Writers Change the Rules:**\ Absurdist writers, like Samuel Beckett in *Waiting for Godot*, reject these traditional arcs: - They avoid clear conflicts. - They "flatten" the dramatic arc, so there's no rise-and-fall structure. - They skip exposition (background information) and often end the story ambiguously or without resolution, like a parable. ### Common Features of the Absurd - **Shared Traits:**\ Absurd writers use different styles and techniques but share some common elements: - No or very little exposition. - Flattened story arcs with ambiguous endings. - Experiments with language to highlight the ridiculousness of life, capturing both Albert Camus's idea of absurdity and everyday humor. - **Variety Among Writers:**\ Even though they share certain traits, each absurdist writer has unique goals, styles, themes, and concerns. **The Absurd's Lasting Impact:** - While absurdism isn't as dominant in art today as it was, its influence is still widespread. It has become so familiar that modern audiences no longer find it shocking or strange, as people did in the 1950s. - Absurd elements, like odd situations, non-traditional plots, and experimental language, are now part of how we think about stories. - **The Absurd's Achievement:**\ The absurd movement in the 1950s-1970s challenged theatrical realism. By presenting something less realistic in form, absurdist plays often revealed deeper truths about life. ### The Forefathers of the Absurd - **Key Influences:**\ Four writers or movements are considered precursors to the Theatre of the Absurd: 1. 1.  **lfred Jarry:** - Rebelled against realism and created "pataphysics," a science of imaginary solutions. - Influenced Dadaism, Surrealism, and later playwrights like Jean Genet and Eugène Ionesco. 2. **Franz Kafka:** - Created strange, absurd situations but told them through straightforward stories. - Did not experiment much with language. 3. **OBERIU (Russian Poets, 1927-1930):** - Used linguistic nonsense to break traditional ideas of meaning and language. 4. **Antonin Artaud:** - Created anti-realistic theatre to uncover deeper truths about reality.  **A Complicated Relationship:** - These writers deeply influenced the absurd movement, but they are not part of it. - Many of their ideas were used by absurdist writers, but their works also contained elements that the absurd movement rejected. ### Famous Absurd Authors - **Edward Albee:** Known for *The Zoo Story*, *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*, *A Delicate Balance*, *Seascape*, *Three Tall Women*, and *The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?*. - **Jean Genet:** Wrote *The Maids* (1947), *The Balcony* (1958), and *The Blacks: A Clown Show* (1959). - **Eugène Ionesco:** Famous for *The Rhinoceros*, *The Bald Soprano*, and *The Chairs*. - **Harold Pinter (UK):** Known for *The Room*, *The Dumb Waiter*, *The Birthday Party*, *The Caretaker*, and *The Homecoming*. - **Other Important Writers:** Arthur Adamov, Fernando Arrabal, Amiri Baraka, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Jack Gelber, Adrienne Kennedy, Václav Havel, Arthur Lee Kopit, Sławomir Mrożek, Tadeusz Różewicz, Sam Shepard, N.F. Simpson (UK), and Tom Stoppard (UK). ### Absurdism as a Bridge Between Modernism and Postmodernism - **Making Experimentation Mainstream:**\ Absurdist literature, which began as experimental, helped make new ways of writing (like playing with form, language, and content) more acceptable for audiences. - **The Transition from Modernism to Postmodernism:**\ Before absurd literature, modernism was the dominant literary style. Postmodernism, with its focus on experimenting and rejecting traditional forms, followed soon after. Samuel Beckett's novels, especially his *Trilogy*, show a shift from modernism (like James Joyce's *Ulysses*) to postmodern ideas. - **Absurdism's Influence on Postmodernism:**\ Many features of postmodern literature, like fragmented stories, multiple truths, irony, and black humor, appeared in absurdist works. - Beckett's prose is fragmented and full of wordplay. - Pinter's plays avoid clear endings, presenting multiple possible truths. - These techniques laid the foundation for postmodern literature. - **Beckett as a Key Figure:**\ Some consider Samuel Beckett both the last modernist and the first postmodern writer. This makes absurdism a bridge between the two literary movements. ### **Encore** - **About the Journal:**\ *Encore*, subtitled "The Voice of Vital Theatre," was a theatre magazine that ran from 1954 to 1965. It focused on promoting fresh, energetic theatre and criticized outdated styles popular in London's West End. - **Influences and Focus:** - Inspired by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and the ideas of the "New Left," which linked culture and society in new ways. - Explored the works of Bertolt Brecht, Eugène Ionesco, and Samuel Beckett. - Highlighted cutting-edge playwrights like Harold Pinter, John Osborne, Arnold Wesker, John Arden, and Shelagh Delaney. - **Notable Contribution:**\ In 1959, *Encore* produced the first printed edition of Harold Pinter's *The Birthday Party*, calling it "a masterpiece of meaningless significance." ### **Angry Young Men** - **Who They Were:**\ A group of young British writers, mostly from working- and middle-class backgrounds, who rose to prominence in the 1950s. - **Key Figures:**\ John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, and Alan Sillitoe were among the most notable members. - **Origins of the Term:**\ The term "angry young men" was first used by the Royal Court Theatre to promote John Osborne's 1956 play *Look Back in Anger*. - **What They Stood For:** - They were disillusioned with traditional British society, particularly the class system, the privileged elite, and universities like Oxford and Cambridge. - They also criticized the postwar welfare state for failing to live up to expectations for real change. - Their work expressed raw anger and frustration, reflecting a desire for a more just and equal society. ### Angry Young Men - **Key Works:** - John Wain's *Hurry on Down* (1953) and Kingsley Amis's *Lucky Jim* (1954) laid the groundwork for the Angry Young Men movement. - John Osborne's play *Look Back in Anger* (1956) became the defining work of the movement. - By 1957, Osborne's *The Entertainer* solidified the Angry Young Men as a dominant force in British literature, especially with Sir Laurence Olivier playing the lead. ### Characteristics of Angry Young Men Literature - Features a **rootless, working-class or lower-middle-class male protagonist** who is: - Angry and critical of society. - Often conflicted with authority. - Seeking upward mobility but dissatisfied with life and his job. - Frustrated with postwar British society's inequalities and hypocrisy. - Common themes include: - Criticism of the British class system. - The struggles of youth in a rigid society. - Revolts against traditional norms and ideals. - Protagonists often turn to alcohol and affairs to cope with life's difficulties. ### Notable Writers and Works 1. **John Wain (1925--1994):** - Known for *Hurry on Down* (1953), a comic story about a restless university graduate rejecting conventional society. 2. **Kingsley Amis (1922--1995):** - *Lucky Jim* (1954) humorously critiques post-World War II British society. 3. **John Osborne (1929--1994):** - His play *Look Back in Anger* (1956) sharply criticized British life and established the Angry Young Men movement. 4. **Other Writers:** - John Braine (*Room at the Top*, 1957). - Alan Sillitoe (*Saturday Night and Sunday Morning*, 1958). - Bernard Kops (*The Hamlet of Stepney Green*, 1956). - Arnold Wesker (*Chicken Soup with Barley*, 1958). ### Shelagh Delaney - **A Pioneer in British Theatre:** - Born in Salford in 1938, Delaney became famous at 19 with her play *A Taste of Honey* (1958). - She brought working-class life and language to the stage at a time when women's voices were rarely heard. - **A Taste of Honey:** - The play follows Helen, an alcoholic single mother, and her daughter Jo, who becomes pregnant by her black sailor boyfriend and has a gay friend Geoffrey. - It explores issues of class, race, and sexuality in a direct, human way. - Inspired partly by *Waiting for Godot*, Delaney wrote the play in just two weeks. - It premiered in 1958, transferred to the West End, and later became a BAFTA-winning film (1961). - **Later Works:** - *The Lion in Love* (1960), semi-autobiographical stories (*Sweetly Sings the Donkey*, 1963), and screenplays like *Dance with a Stranger* (1985). ### Drama After WWII - **The Role of the Royal Court Theatre:** - From 1956, the Royal Court became the hub for new British drama. - It supported groundbreaking plays like Osborne's *Look Back in Anger* and the working-class realism of Arnold Wesker (*Chicken Soup with Barley*, 1958). - **Breaking Traditions:** - These writers rejected the polite, upper-class comedies of the West End. - They embraced "kitchen sink" realism, focusing on working-class struggles and harsh realities. - **Political Consciousness:** - John Arden's *Sergeant Musgrave's Dance* (1959) tackled themes like colonialism, wartime guilt, and pacifism. - By the 1960s, playwrights like Joe Orton (*What the Butler Saw*, 1969) used dark humor to challenge middle-class values. ### Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard - **Harold Pinter:** - Known for his "comedies of menace," Pinter explored working-class anxieties and power dynamics in plays like: - *The Room* (1957). - *The Dumb Waiter* (1960). - *The Caretaker* (1960). - *The Homecoming* (1965). - In the 1980s, Pinter's work became more politically charged. - **Tom Stoppard:** - Influenced by Beckett, Stoppard blended absurdism and postmodernism in works like: - *Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead* (1967). - *Travesties* (1974), which explores memory and creativity. - *Arcadia* (1993), a mix of Romantic poetry and modern critical analysis. ### Influence of the Counterculture - By the late 1960s, British theater reflected countercultural themes: - Peter Shaffer's *Equus* (1973) and *Amadeus* (1979) used stylized performances to explore deep psychological struggles. - This shift highlighted theater's ability to tackle themes beyond the scope of film or television. ### Peter Shaffer's *Amadeus* - **Success on Stage:** - *Amadeus* premiered in November 1979 at the National Theatre of Great Britain and became the theatre's most successful play ever. - It received the same enthusiasm in Washington, D.C. (1980) and at New York's Broadhurst Theatre. - It won five Tony Awards, including Best Drama, in 1980. - **Success on Film:** - The 1984 film adaptation was nominated for eleven Oscars and won eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. ### End of Censorship in British Theatre - **Abolishment of State Censorship:** - Before 1968, British playwrights had to submit scripts for approval to the Lord Chamberlain's office under the Theatres Act of 1843. - The 1968 Theatres Act abolished this censorship, allowing for greater creative freedom. - **Impact of Freedom:** - Playwrights like Howard Brenton, Howard Barker, Edward Bond, and David Hare wrote bold plays about violence, social issues, and political power. - Directors such as Peter Brook embraced theatrical techniques emphasizing physical movement, gestures, and ritual, influenced by Artaud's "theatre of cruelty." - **Emergence of Political Theatre Groups:** - New theatre companies like Monstrous Regiment, Gay Sweatshop, Joint Stock, and John McGrath's 7:84 collaborated with playwrights to create politically charged works. - In Ireland, Brian Friel and actor Stephen Rea founded the Field Day Theatre Company in 1980. Their first play, *Translations* (1980), explored language and cultural identity in Ireland and gained international acclaim. ### Women Dramatists - **Collaborative Beginnings:** - In the late 1970s, collaboration within groups like Joint Stock and Monstrous Regiment helped women playwrights gain recognition. - **Caryl Churchill:** - Churchill explored themes of gender, class, and colonialism in plays like *Cloud Nine* (1979). - In *Top Girls* (1982) and *Serious Money* (1987), she critiqued modern capitalist society with sharp wit. - **Pam Gems:** - Gems examined misogyny and feminism in campy explorations of strong women in *Queen Christina* (1977), *Piaf* (1978), and *Camille* (1984). - **Sarah Daniels:** - Daniels combined naturalistic "kitchen sink" drama with experimental language, influenced by Churchill's stylized approach. Here's a simplified version of the text: ### Postcolonial Drama - **New Voices in English-Language Theatre:** - During the era of decolonization, poets like Derek Walcott and Wole Soyinka brought new energy to English-language drama, reflecting their own cultural identities and histories. - **Derek Walcott (Caribbean Drama):** - In the 1950s, Walcott wrote and directed plays about Caribbean history and culture, incorporating local chants, jokes, songs, and stories. - He founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 1958 and spent two decades creating influential plays like *Dream on Monkey Mountain* (1967), which explores the clash between European and African ideas of Caribbean identity. - The Sistren Theatre Collective in Jamaica followed this tradition, using women's personal stories and Jamaican speech to create vibrant performances inspired by poets like Louise Bennett. - **Wole Soyinka (African Drama):** - Soyinka, influenced by modernist drama and Yoruba traditions, returned to Nigeria in 1960 to write and direct plays. - His play *Death and the King's Horseman* (1976) highlights the tension between colonial rule and Yoruba cultural traditions. - Other African playwrights, like Femi Osofisan (Nigeria) and Athol Fugard (South Africa), addressed class, race, and the violence left by colonialism in their work. - **Impact on British Theatre:** - Playwrights from Caribbean, African, and Asian backgrounds, such as Mustapha Matura, Caryl Phillips, and Hanif Kureishi, brought new ideas and techniques to British drama. - Kureishi is particularly known for his screenplays, including *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985) and *My Son the Fanatic* (1998). - By the late 20th century, English-language drama had become more diverse, international, and reflective of cross-cultural identities than ever before. ### 1990s Drama - **Varied Themes:** - Drama in the 1990s covered many topics, resisting easy categorization. - Terms like "new brutalism" and "in-yer-face theatre" were used to describe the era's focus on violence and intensity, but these labels oversimplify the deeper moral questions in the plays. - **Mark Ravenhill:** - Ravenhill's plays, such as *Shopping and Fucking* (1996), initially shocked audiences with their provocative content. - However, he saw his work as morally serious, challenging audiences to make intellectual and emotional judgments about his characters' actions. His plays can now be viewed as postmodern versions of Brecht's epic theatre