Theatre of the Absurd (thing)

The term comes from the 1961 book by Martin Esslin by the same name. It describes a group of plays written from the 1940s to the 1970s. Early influences were pioneered by Alfred Jarry, Albert Camus and Luigi Pirandello.

People associated with Theater of the Absurd include:

• Samuel Beckett - 1906-89
• Eugene Ionesco - 1909-94
• Arthur Adamov - 1908-70
• Jean Genet - 1910-86
• Václav Havel - 1936-
• Tom Stoppard - 1937-

Now a more generalized term that applies to Absurdist theatre in general.

Examples of plays that fit this category include:

• Waiting for Godot (Beckett) En attendant Godot - 1952
• The Chairs (Ionesco)
• The Bald Soprano (Ionesco)
• Rhinoceros (Ionesco)

Related nodes:

• Menippean Satire

Sources: Esslin, Martin, "The Theatre of the Absurd", Doubleday, NY, 1969 Ionesco, Eugene, "Four Plays", Grove Press, NY, 1958. http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc19.html Last Updated 04.12.03