1. Welcome to Ridiculousness
Absurdism
Welcome to Ridiculousness

2. The Challenges of Teaching Absurdism
Absurdist beauty lies in its non-conformity with accepted theatre conventions.
A performance style that deliberately breaks many of the norms of conventional theatre is destined to do one of two things to its audience – fascinate or alienate.

3. Historical Context: 
Emerging in Europe in the early 1950s, theatre of the absurd arrived soon after World War II, which has been considered a major influence on the style due to the senseless atrocities on human life.

4. Conventions:
Absurdist conventions can include language devoid of any real meaning (unintelligible, clipped, repetitive, cliches), plots that are circular instead of linear (appear to go nowhere), slapstic, characters that have little or no sense of time or place, slow paced sections juxtaposed with fast paced dialogue.
The world is incomprehensible
Human beings are trapped in routines
Most things we meet are illogical
Most conversations are nonsense

5. Conclusion: Theatre of the is a beast.
You may often struggle to understand the layers behind the surface - absurdist dramas are sometimes bewildered at the non realistic conventions unique to this form.
Or if you understand or love drama theory you can rigorously debate and revel in the complexity of absurdism

6. The Zoo Story
Edward Albee's 1958 play "The Zoo Story” is a prime example of Absurdist Theatre
Two strangers meet on a summer afternoon in Central Park, New York City.
Peter is a married man who works for a small publishing house and Jerry is an isolated man who has just come back from the Zoo.
This encounter challenges their perceptions of love, failure, and interpersonal connections as the mystery of what happened at the zoo develops into a shocking conclusion.

7. Discussion Points
What is noticed about Peters behavior – especially in how he reacts to Jerry's behavior as the scene continues?
What can we infer from Jerry’s line “I could not have planned this…could I?
How does the motif of the ‘animals’ serve the author and his purpose?
What is symbolic about the Bench? You have everything, and now you want this bench. Are these the things men fight for?
What is symbolic about the Bench? f you can't deal with people, you have to make a start somewhere. WITH ANIMALS!