1. THEATRE OF
THE
ABSURD

2. Theatre of the Absurd The term (now genre)Theatre of the Absurd was
coined by critic Martin Esslin to bring attention to a
group of playwrights whose plays conveyed a common
sense of anxiety, confusion and hopelessness in
reaction to an unexplainable, unpredictable and
absurd universe.

3. Two major contributing factors to this genre were the
atrocities of World War II and the philosophical
questions regarding the meaning of life raised
by Existentialists.

4. Within the word existentialism is the word exist.
We are thrown into existence without a choice.
However, once we exist, we have the freedom to choose how to exist.
We have the freedom to choose to create meaningful, valuable lives.

5. With that freedom of choice,comes anxiety and fear
With that freedom of choice,comes anxiety and fear. Anxiety that we may make the “WRONG”choices! Fear that we may die before we find meaning in our lives!

6. Mere existence has no purpose.
Despite the fear and anxiety, we can choose our purpose and define it.
Ultimately, we decide if our lives have value.

7. Famous Absurdist Names

8. Jean-Paul Sartre’s
Perhaps the best-know existentialist, Jean-Paul Sartre’s works
included essays, novels and plays such as No Exit.

9. Albert Camus
Albert Camus, wrote The Myth of Sisyphus, among other works with existential themes. Using the Greek myth to show the futility of existence, Sisyphus is eternally condemned to roll a rock up a hill and every time he reaches the top, the rock rolls back down and he has to start over. Existence seems pointless, but perhaps Sisyphus finds purpose and meaning in his eternal task by never giving up and continuing to push the rock up every time it rolls back down.

10. Samuel Beckett
The father of Theatre of the Absurd Samuel Beckett wrote,
among others, Waiting for Godot, Happy Days,
and Act Without Words

11. Eugene Ionesco
Eugene Ionesco’s plays include The Leader , The Rhinoceros,
The Bald Soprano, Macbett, The Killing Game, and The Chairs.

12. Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard wrote, among others, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern Are Dead, The Real Thing, Jumpers, and
he co-wrote the screenplay for Shakespeare in Love.

13. Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter’s plays include The Room, The Birthday Party,
The Homecoming, and Betrayal.

14. Edward Albee Edward Albee’s plays include The Zoo Story, Sandbox,
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Seascape.

15. Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard’s many plays include A Lie of the Mind, Fool for Love and his Pulitzer Prize play Buried Child.
Sam Shepard is also a respected actor and director. He’s acted in 39 films including Black Hawk Down, The Right Stuff, Crimes of the Heart, and Steel Magnolias.

16. Thornton Wilder Thornton Wilder, known for writing Our Town
also wrote the
absurdist play
The Skin of Our Teeth.

17. Christopher Durang Christopher Durang’s many plays
include Death Comes to Us All,
Mary Agnes, Identity Crisis,
The Actor’s Nightmare, Baby
and the Bathwater, and
The Marriage of Bette and Boo.

18. Theatre of the Absurd
The plays of these and other Absurdist playwrights have
common themes including:
the uselessness of human actions
the failure of human communication
an illogical universe (from fascist governments to dysfunctional families),
collective unconsciousness
menacing forces
feelings of alienation and hopelessness.

19. Theatre of the Absurd
However most plays of this genre are considered to be
in the tradition of tragicomedy.
We laugh at and identify with many of the characters
struggling, as we do, to make sense of our lives and the world.