who coined the term theatre of the absurd
Theatre of the Absurd


coined the term in his 1960 essay "Theatre of the Absurd". He related these plays based on a broad theme of the Absurd, similar to the way Albert Camus uses the term in his 1942 essay "The Myth of Sisyphus". The Absurd in these plays takes the form of man's reaction to a world apparently without meaning, or man as a puppet controlled or menaced by invisible outside forces. This style of writing was first popularized by the Samuel Beckett play "Waiting for Godot" (1953).
5088696
Postmodern literature


some key figures (Samuel Beckett, William S. Burroughs, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar and Gabriel García Márquez) are cited as significant contributors to the postmodern aesthetic. The work of Alfred Jarry, the Surrealists, Antonin Artaud, Luigi Pirandello and so on also influenced the work of playwrights from the Theatre of the Absurd. The term "Theatre of the Absurd" was coined by Martin Esslin to describe a tendency in theatre in the 1950s; he related it to Albert Camus's concept of the absurd. The plays of
17118155
Samuel Beckett


or wrongly, to have been instrumental in the so-called "Theatre of the Absurd"—deal in a darkly humorous way with themes similar to those of the roughly contemporary existentialist thinkers. The term "Theatre of the Absurd" was coined by Martin Esslin in a book of the same name; Beckett and "Godot" were centerpieces of the book. Esslin argued these plays were the fulfilment of Albert Camus's concept of "the absurd"; this is one reason Beckett is often falsely labelled as an existentialist (this is based
7878093
Literary modernism


that human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion, silence. While there are significant precursors, including Alfred Jarry (1873–1907), the Theatre of the Absurd is generally seen as beginning in the 1950s with the plays of Samuel Beckett. Critic Martin Esslin coined the term in his 1960 essay, "Theatre of the Absurd." He related these plays based on a broad theme of the Absurd, similar to
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Martin Esslin


Martin Julius Esslin OBE (6 June 1918 – 24 February 2002) was a Hungarian-born British producer, dramatist, journalist, adaptor and translator, critic, academic scholar and professor of drama, known for coining the term "theatre of the absurd" in his 1962 book "The Theatre of the Absurd". This work has been called "the most influential theatrical text of the 1960s". Born Pereszlényi Gyula Márton in Budapest, Esslin moved to Vienna with his family at a young age. He studied Philosophy and
14885667
Modernism


is applied to plays, written primarily by Europeans, that express the belief that human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion, silence. While there are significant precursors, including Alfred Jarry (1873–1907), the Theatre of the Absurd is generally seen as beginning in the 1950s with the plays of Samuel Beckett. Critic Martin Esslin coined the term in his 1960 essay "Theatre of the Absurd". He related
19776270
Fritz Hochwälder


translated some of Hochwälder's plays into English, also commented on the juxtaposition of violent themes with a humanistic message. "Again and again the message that his plays leave with the attentive reader and spectator is one of the humanity, forgiveness, reconciliation, and a refusal to fall into the trap set by the violent to the nonviolent, of converting them to their own methods." Esslin, who coined the term "Theatre of the Absurd", may well have found compelling Hochwälder's often paradoxical plot twists. For example
11717715
Wolfgang Bauer (writer)


The Young Unknowns"). After two more successes, "Change" (1969) and "Gespenster" ("Ghosts", 1973), Bauer's plays became increasingly surreal and experimental. Bauer though resisted any labelling by academia and critics alike until his death. Most of his plays during 1967 and 1990 were translated into English by Martin Esslin, remembered for coining the term Theatre of the Absurd. In the late 1970s and early 1980s San Francisco's Magic Theatre performed a play of Bauer's almost every season.
5034198
Qorpo-Santo


José Joaquim de Campos Leão, also known as Qorpo-Santo (Triunfo, April 19, 1829 - Porto Alegre May 1, 1883), was a Brazilian journalist and playwright. He is known to have written the very first absurdist theatre plays, long time before the term Theatre of the Absurd was coined. His family put him under judicial interdiction in 1861, because he was "writing down everything". As a matter of fact, just in May 1866 he wrote 8 plays, as noted by Guilhermino César.
6350954
The Caretaker


a certain kinship, writing "[The Pinters' life in Chiswick] was a very threadbare existence . . . very . . . I was totally out of work. So I was very close to this old derelict's world, in a way."("Harold Pinter" 114–17). For earlier critics, like Martin Esslin, "The Caretaker" suggests aspects of the Theatre of the Absurd, described by Esslin in his eponymous book coining that term first published in 1961; according to Esslin, absurdist drama by writers such
3434138
History of theatre


was also a great deal of experimental theatre that rejected those conventions. These experiments form part of the modernist and postmodernist movements and included forms of political theatre as well as more aesthetically orientated work. Examples include: Epic theatre, the Theatre of Cruelty, and the so-called "Theatre of the Absurd". The term theatre practitioner came to be used to describe someone who both creates theatrical performances and who produces a theoretical discourse that informs their practical work. A theatre practitioner may be a director, a dramatist, an
13731648
Grotesque


children of tomorrow. Other contemporary writers who have explored the grotesque in pop-culture are John Docker, in the context of postmodernism; Cintra Wilson, who analyzes celebrity; and Francis Sanzaro, who discusses its relation to childbirth and obscenity. The term Theatre of the Grotesque refers to an anti-naturalistic school of Italian dramatists, writing in the 1910s and 1920s, who are often seen as precursors of the Theatre of the Absurd. Characterized by ironic and macabre themes of daily life in the world war 1 era. Theatre
15830906
Theatre of the Absurd


in subsequent editions he added a fifth playwright, Harold Pinter—although each of these writers has unique preoccupations and characteristics that go beyond the term "absurd." Other writers associated with this group by Esslin and other critics include Tom Stoppard, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Fernando Arrabal, Edward Albee, Boris Vian, and Jean Tardieu. Though the label "Theatre of the Absurd" covers a wide variety of playwrights with differing styles, they do have some common stylistic precursors (Esslin [1961]). These precursors include Elizabethan tragicomedy
5088702
Catch-22 (logic)


it ("e.g", a bank will never issue someone a loan if they "need" the money). One connotation of the term is that the creators of the "catch-22" situation have created arbitrary rules in order to justify and conceal their own abuse of power. Joseph Heller coined the term in his 1961 novel "Catch-22", which describes absurd bureaucratic constraints on soldiers in World War II. The term is introduced by the character Doc Daneeka, an army psychiatrist who invokes "Catch-22" to explain why
15488672
In-yer-face theatre


critics have stated, "pigeonholing", or "domesticating" ("taming") them. The creation of "in-yer-face theatre" parallels the history of more-prevalently accepted literary-critical coinages by critics like Martin Esslin ("Theatre of the Absurd"), who extended the existential philosophical concept of the Absurd to drama and theatre in his 1961 book of that title, and Irving Wardle ("Comedy of menace"), who borrowed the phrase from the subtitle of "", by
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Theatre of the Absurd


man who resists? At least we could learn why, but no, we learn not even that. He resists because he is there". Sartre's criticism highlights a primary difference between the Theatre of the Absurd and existentialism: the Theatre of the Absurd shows the failure of man without recommending a solution. In a 1966 interview, Claude Bonnefoy, comparing the Absurdists to Sartre and Camus, said to Ionesco, "It seems to me that Beckett, Adamov and yourself started out less from philosophical reflections or a return to
5088712
Patience (play)


are flashbacks but at very strategic points that give the audience insight into why things have just happened as they did. In "Patience" there are elements of absurdism. Reuben, within his mentality is living in a world full of absurdism. He is at the mercy of a higher power, whatever that might be. By the end of the play he comes to terms that his life cannot be changed. A quote from "A Student's Guide to Play Analysis" demonstrates how much the theatre of absurd is involved
18761910
Rhinoceros (play)


Theatre revived the play in 2007 and starred Benedict Cumberbatch as Bérenger and directed by Dominic Cooke. The Bangalore Little Theatre, in collaboration with the Alliance Française de Bangalore, presented Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, a play in the Theatre of the Absurd tradition.This adaptation is written by Dr.Vijay Padaki, a veteran in Theatre. In 2016 "Rhinoceros" was adapted and directed by Wesley Savick. It was performed by Modern Theatre in Boston. The term Rhinoceroization (התקרנפות, hitkarnefut) became colloquial in Israel for getting swayed
15598734
Alfred Jarry


Alfred Jarry (; 8 September 1873 – 1 November 1907) was a French symbolist writer who is best known for his play "Ubu Roi" (1896), a pataphysical work which depicts the bourgeoisie as the super-mediocre. He coined the term and philosophical concept of pataphysics, which uses absurd irony to portray symbolic truths (and playfully vice versa). Jarry was born in Laval, Mayenne, France, and his mother was from Brittany. He was associated with the Symbolist movement. His play "Ubu Roi"
1665410
Hysterical realism


Hysterical realism, also called recherché postmodernism, is a term coined in 2000 by English critic James Wood to describe what he sees as a literary genre typified by a strong contrast between elaborately absurd prose, plotting, or characterization, on the one hand, and careful, detailed investigations of real, specific social phenomena on the other. Wood introduced the term in an essay on Zadie Smith's "White Teeth", which appeared in the July 24, 2000 issue of "The New Republic". Wood uses the term to
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Theatre of the Absurd


draw his own conclusions, make his own errors". Though Theatre of the Absurd may be seen as nonsense, they have something to say and can be understood". Esslin makes a distinction between the dictionary definition of absurd ("out of harmony" in the musical sense) and drama's understanding of the Absurd: "Absurd is that which is devoid of purpose... Cut off from his religious, metaphysical, and transcendental roots, man is lost; all his actions become senseless, absurd, useless". The
5088722
In-yer-face theatre


In-yer-face theatre is a style of drama that emerged in Great Britain in the 1990s. This term was coined by British theatre critic Aleks Sierz as the title of his book, "In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today", first published by Faber and Faber in March 2001. An adjunct faculty member in Boston University's London graduate journalism programme, and co-editor of TheatreVoice, Sierz uses "in-yer-face theatre" to describe work by young playwrights who present vulgar,
2595649
Theatre of the Absurd


upheaval going on in the world around the playwrights during these times. While absurdists believed that life is absurd, they also believed that death and the "after life" were equally absurd if not more so, and that whether people live or not, all of their actions are pointless, and everything will lead to the same end (hence the repetitiveness in many of these absurdist plays). In his book "Absurd Drama" (1965), Esslin wrote:... the Theatre of the Absurd attacks the comfortable certainties of
5088698
On the Genealogy of Morality


weak. Nietzsche rebukes the "English psychologists" for lacking historical sense. They seek to do moral genealogy by explaining altruism in terms of the utility of altruistic actions, which is subsequently forgotten as such actions become the norm. But the judgment "good", according to Nietzsche, originates not with the beneficiaries of altruistic actions. Rather, the good themselves (the powerful) coined the term "good". Further, Nietzsche sees it as psychologically absurd that altruism derives from a utility that is "forgotten": if
9536573
Theatre of France


Jouvet, Charles Dullin, Gaston Baty, and Ludmila and Georges Pitoëff. They produced French works by Jean Giraudoux, Jules Romains, Jean Anouilh and Jean-Paul Sartre, as well as Greek and Shakespearean plays and works by Luigi Pirandello, Anton Chekhov, and George Bernard Shaw. Inspired by the theatrical experiments in the early half of the century and by the horrors of the war, the avant-garde Parisian theatre, "New theatre"—termed the "Theatre of the Absurd" by critic Martin Esslin in reference to Eugène Ionesco
1205581
Play (theatre)


representations of existential qualms and questions. Theatre of the absurd denies rationality, and embraces the inevitability of falling into the abyss of the human condition. Instead of discussing these issues, however, theatre of the absurd is a demonstration of them. This leaves the audience to discuss and question the content of the play for themselves. One of the main aspects of theatre of the absurd is the physical contradiction to language. Oftentimes, the dialogue between characters will directly oppose their actions. Famous playwrights within this genre include Beckett, Sartre
20801667
4th Wall Theatre, Inc.


4th Wall Theatre, Inc. (aka 4th Wall Musical Theatre) is a non-equity theatre company in residence at the Westminster Arts Center on the campus of Bloomfield College, in Bloomfield, New Jersey, approximately 10 miles from Manhattan. The group derived its name from the theatre term the fourth wall coined by Denis Diderot which describes it as “the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play”. Friends, who all worked as
21481164
Epic theatre


purpose of epic theatre is not to encourage an audience to suspend their disbelief, but rather to force them to see their world as it is. The term "epic theatre" comes from Erwin Piscator who coined it during his first year as director of Berlin's Volksbühne (1924–27). Piscator aimed to encourage playwrights to address issues related to "contemporary existence." This new subject matter would then be staged by means of documentary effects, audience interaction, and strategies to cultivate an objective response. Epic theatre incorporates a mode
11095881
Theatre of the Absurd


from Commedia dell'arte to vaudeville. Similarly, Esslin cites early film comedians and music hall artists such as Charlie Chaplin, the Keystone Cops and Buster Keaton as direct influences. (Keaton even starred in Beckett's "Film" in 1965.) As an experimental form of theatre, many Theatre of the Absurd playwrights employ techniques borrowed from earlier innovators. Writers and techniques frequently mentioned in relation to the Theatre of the Absurd include the 19th-century nonsense poets, such as Lewis Carroll or Edward Lear; Polish playwright Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz
5088705
Theatre of the Absurd


nonsensical questions and non-sequiturs: As in the above examples, nonsense in Absurdist theatre may be also used to demonstrate the limits of language while questioning or parodying the determinism of science and the knowability of truth. In Ionesco's "The Lesson", a professor tries to force a pupil to understand his nonsensical philology lesson: Traditional plot structures are rarely a consideration in The Theatre of the Absurd. Plots can consist of the absurd repetition of cliché and routine, as in "Godot" or "The Bald Soprano"
5088732
Theatre of the Absurd


. The shedding of easy solutions, of comforting illusions, may be painful, but it leaves behind it a sense of freedom and relief. And that is why, in the last resort, the Theatre of the Absurd does not provoke tears of despair but the laughter of liberation. Playwrights commonly associated with the Theatre of the Absurd include Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet, Arthur Adamov, Harold Pinter, Luigi Pirandello, Tom Stoppard, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Miguel Mihura, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Fernando Arrabal, Václav Havel,
5088700
Jerzy Kosiński


upon a childhood spent, by the casual chances of war, in the remotest villages of Eastern Europe." In 1988, he wrote "The Hermit of 69th Street", in which he sought to demonstrate the absurdity of investigating prior work by inserting footnotes for practically every term in the book. "Ironically," wrote theatre critic Lucy Komisar, "possibly his only true book ... about a successful author who is shown to be a fraud." Despite repudiation of the "Village Voice" allegations in detailed articles in
15695920
Late capitalism


Late capitalism is a term coined by continental Europe socialists in the late 1930s that has come to refer to modern capitalism from World War II onward. Since 2016, the term has been used in the United States to refer to perceived absurdities, crises, injustices, and inequality created by modern business development. Later capitalism refers to the historical epoch since 1940, including the Post–World War II economic expansion called the golden age of capitalism. The expression already existed for a long time in continental Europe, before it gained currency
1290216
Off West End


Off West End refers to theatres in London which are not included as West End theatres. The term is a relatively recent one, coined after the similar American term "Off-Broadway" (though without the same strict definition). It is usually used synonymously with the more widespread term "Fringe" (or, specifically, "the London Fringe"), but sometimes is also used to refer to more mainstream or commercial theatre which is located within London but outside the centre, or to especially small and non-
14882920
Martin Esslin


English at the University of Vienna and later studied directing under Max Reinhardt at the Reinhardt Seminar of Dramatic Arts in 1928; actor Milo Sperber was a classmate. Of Jewish descent (but not of Jewish practice), he fled Austria in the wake of the "Anschluss" of 1938, moving to Brussels for a year and then moving on to England. In his book, "Theatre of the Absurd", written in 1962, he defined the "Theatre of the Absurd" as follows: This attribute of "absurdity
14885668
Theatre of the Ridiculous


Theatre of the Ridiculous is a theatrical genre that began in New York City in the 1960s. The phrase "Theatre of the Ridiculous" was created in 1965 by actor and director Ronald Tavel to describe his own work, which was later recognized as the beginning of the genre. Referencing Martin Esslin's concept of a Theatre of the Absurd, Tavel promoted the first Ridiculous performances with the manifesto: "We have passed beyond the absurd: our position is absolutely preposterous." Theatre of the Ridiculous broke from the dominant trends in
19697640
The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window


also has the qualities of "awareness, sensitivity, integrity, and, above all, the capacity for growth." Sidney also develops a better understanding for Mavis in their last Aspects of "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" can be seen as Hansberry's reaction to a popular movement in theatre, Theater of the Absurd. Theatre of the Absurd was a form of drama which mixed clarity with absurdity, profundity with ridiculousness. It was understood to reflect the lack of coherence in most people's lives, and the
22059122
Absurdistan


was used by dissident and later president Václav Havel. This seems to indicate that use of the term began during perestroika. The first recorded printed use of the term in English was in "Spectator" in an article on August 26, 1989, about Czechoslovakia ("Czechoslovakians have taken to calling their country "Absurdistan" because everyday life there has long resembled the "Theatre of the Absurd".") On September 18, 1989, an article in "The Nation" was called "Prague Summer of '89:
15003590
Horror Victorianorum


Horror Victorianorum (terror of the Victorian), coined by the philosopher David Stove, is an extreme distaste or condemnation of Victorian culture, art and design. The term was used in Stove's book "The Plato Cult" as part of his argument against Karl Popper and other philosophers whom he characterised as "modernists". For Stove, Popper was influenced by the pervasive anti-Victorian mentality of the era, epitomised by Evelyn Waugh's book "A Handful of Dust", in which the absurdity of Victorian values is
8721968
Legs McNeil


smart but not pretentious, absurd, ironic, and things that appealed to the darker side". Holstrom wanted to call it "Teenage News Gazette" to which Ged said,"Absolutely not." The name Punk was McNeil's idea; Dunn agreed to it instantly, Holmstrom rather reluctantly. Nicknamed "Resident Punk" in the magazine, McNeil claims (to much dispute) that he was the first person (along with co-founder John Holmstrom) to have coined the term "punk" to describe a certain type of music
9678636
Chris Channing


was based there until 2017. He directs and devises theatre shows and performances in the worlds of theatre, performance, recital, circus, fine arts, corporate events and festivals. He writes theatre scripts and adaptations and translates opera and pop songs. He was the artistic director and curator of eight editions of the 'International Biennale of the Absurd', including 'The International Competition for the Arts in Absurdity'. For ten years he specialised in 'Living Paintings' as performance art and theatre. He is master of ceremonies
15865516
Hindi theatre


, home videos and cable TV, audience moved away from theatre for a while, before theatre resurrected itself in the late 1990s with a new breed of theatre directors who sought not just new themes and narratives, but also took to absurd, expressionist, experimental and improvisational theatre with greater zeal. They also started to find sponsors in the corporate sector and numerous theatre directors were able to sustain themselves on theatre alone. Two challenges that came up in the coming years was that even now actors took their theatre careers as a prep
16966813
20th-century philosophy


may not satisfy the desire for individual identity, and both theistic and atheistic existentialism tend to resist mainstream religious movements. Sometimes coined the Father of existentialism, Soren Kierkegaard introduced the concerns of the existentialist from a theistic perspective as a Christian philosopher concerned with the individual's understanding of God and the resulting implications for the human condition. The individual's life gains significance only in relation to the love of God. Common themes are the primacy of experience, Angst, the Absurd, and authenticity. Western Marxism, in terms of 20th
7804217
Dada


hobby horse. Others note that it suggests the first words of a child, evoking a childishness and absurdity that appealed to the group. Still others speculate that the word might have been chosen to evoke a similar meaning (or no meaning at all) in any language, reflecting the movement's internationalism. The roots of Dada lie in pre-war avant-garde. The term anti-art, a precursor to Dada, was coined by Marcel Duchamp around 1913 to characterize works which challenge accepted definitions of art. Cubism
8319777
Naqshineh Theatre


Naqshineh Theatre is a group of Iranian performance artists who mostly work in the genre of Theatre of the Absurd. The first show performed by Naqshineh was Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot", staged at the City Theatre of Tehran in 1998. After 30 shows they received an invitation to an international theatre festival in Nanterre (a suburb of Paris). The play was performed there in June 1999. In April 2000 the group performed "Rhinoceros" as their second play. After two months of negotiations with the Manager of
8852723
Senior theatre


and 90 years but most are in their late 60's and 70's. There are many benefits derived from Senior Theatre including physical, mental, psychological, social, and cultural growth. It builds vital social connections for often isolated seniors. Vintage Improv is a term coined by Miki Manting and refers to Improv performed by people who are at least 50 years old. In Improv theater, it is often difficult for vintage improvisers to compete for opportunities to perform. At Improv theaters where casts are largely made up of improvisers in
10992106
Fyodor Burdin


, enjoyed the right to choose the leading parts for himself, which he often did at the expense of productions' quality. Lauded for his role as a catalyst in the general development of the Russian theatre in the mid-19th-century, Burdin the actor was unpopular with theatre critics, notably Apollon Grigoriev who coined the term 'burdinism' to denote what he saw as the contemporary Russian stage actors' worst flaws: pompousness and penchant for banality. Burdin translated numerous French vaudevilles; several 'originals' that he wrote were,
16500645
Defamiliarization


Defamiliarization or ostranenie () is the artistic technique of presenting to audiences common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar. According to the Russian formalists who coined the term, it is the central concept of art and poetry. The concept has influenced 20th-century art and theory, ranging over movements including Dada, postmodernism, epic theatre, science fiction, and Biblical criticism; additionally, it is used as a tactic by recent movements such as culture jamming. The term "defamiliarization"
13210474
Little Theatre Movement


Theatres that specifically screened European films from 1926 to 1929. The films were believed to be of "perceived artistic superiority to Hollywood Films," which coined the concept of the European Art Film. Eventually, the term 'art film' became very lose and society started seeing any film not produced in Hollywood as 'art'. The way the term 'art film' was used in the United States lead to more critical thinking on film. The Little Theatre Movement gave birth to the Golden Age of the International Art Film
7663835
Johannes Goropius Becanus


in 1569, printed the linguist-physician’s posthumous collected work in 1580 as a massive volume of more than a thousand pages. Goropius's work was met with a mixture of ridicule and admiration. Goropius is considered to have given Dutch linguistics, and Gothic philology in general, a bad name. Though Goropius had admirers (among them Abraham Ortelius and Richard Hakluyt), his etymologies have been considered "linguistic chauvinism," and Leibniz coined the term "goropism", meaning absurd etymological theories. Justus Lipsius and Hugo Grotius
1221658
Ali (graffiti artist)


, and he would live or die with his hands attached. So shocking were his burns that a number of early writers were said to have "laid up their cans" after visiting him in the hospital; but ALI recovered completely, though he carried scars from that night for the rest of his life. A cynical social observer with a quick wit, ALI coined the term "Zoo York" to describe the absurdity displayed in the attitudes of New Yorkers during what he called the "Sick Seventies." It was the
3538098
Wolfgang Fritz Haug


Wolfgang Fritz Haug (born March 23, 1936 in Esslingen am Neckar, Württemberg) was from 1979 till his retirement in 2001 professor of philosophy at the Free University Berlin, where he had also studied romance languages and religious studies and taken his PhD (in 1966 on the topic of "Jean-Paul Sartre and the construction of absurdity"). Haug coined the term commodity aestheticism ("Warenästhetik," in German). His "Critique of Commodity Aesthetics" has been translated into numerous languages. Since 1958, he
7184190
Literary modernism


recently the term late modernism has been redefined by at least one critic and used to refer to works written after 1945, rather than 1930. With this usage goes the idea that the ideology of modernism was significantly re-shaped by the events of World War II, especially the Holocaust and the dropping of the atom bomb. The Scottish writer Ali Smith has been considered by many to be a very late Modernist writer. The term Theatre of the Absurd is applied to plays written by primarily European playwrights, that express the belief
12229649
The Caretaker


problems about his unresolved identity and uncertain past, present and future" (122). About directing a production of "The Caretaker" at the Roundabout Theatre Company in 2003, David Jones observed: Hickling writes in this review of a production directed by Mark Babych in March 2009: Pinter's own comment on the source of three of his major plays is frequently quoted by critics: Aston Davies Mick The language and plot of "The Caretaker" blends Realism with the Theatre of the Absurd. In the Theatre of the Absurd
3434141
Theatre of the Absurd


essay "Problems of the Theatre", "Comedy alone is suitable for us … But the tragic is still possible even if pure tragedy is not. We can achieve the tragic out of comedy. We can bring it forth as a frightening moment, as an abyss that opens suddenly; indeed, many of Shakespeare's tragedies are already really comedies out of which the tragic arises." Though layered with a significant amount of tragedy, the Theatre of the Absurd echoes other great forms of comedic performance, according to Esslin,
5088704
Theatre of the Absurd


and Its Double") was a particularly important philosophical treatise. Artaud claimed theatre's reliance on literature was inadequate and that the true power of theatre was in its visceral impact. Artaud was a Surrealist, and many other members of the Surrealist group were significant influences on the Absurdists. Absurdism is also frequently compared to Surrealism's predecessor, Dadaism (for example, the Dadaist plays by Tristan Tzara performed at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich). Many of the Absurdists had direct connections with the Dadaists and Surrealists. Ionesco, Adamov
5088709
Annoyance Theatre


The Annoyance Theatre, or Annoyance Productions as it is sometimes called, is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago, Illinois, that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor. Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successful stage and screen actors. Popular productions have included "Co-Ed Prison Sluts" and "That Darned Antichrist". Annoyance Productions currently runs classes in improvisation, writing, musical improvisation, acting, and solo work. The Annoyance Theatre was founded by Mick Napier as "
21253582
Guerrilla theatre


inclusion of Dada performance tactics. The term "Guerrilla Theater" was coined by Peter Berg, who in 1965 suggested it to R.G. Davis as the title of his essay on the actions of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, an essay that was first published in 1966. The term "guerrilla" was inspired by a passage in a 1961 Che Guevara essay, which read: Davis had studied mime and modern dance in the 1950s and had discovered commedia dell'arte. In autumn 1966 around 20 members of the San Francisco Mime Troupe broke
9245398
Zoo York


and John Naar, with text by Norman Mailer. Praeger Publishers, Inc.) A cynical social observer with a quick wit, ALI coined the term "Zoo York" to describe the absurdity displayed in the attitudes and actions of New Yorkers during what he called the "Sick Seventies"—particularly as exemplified by what he saw at the Central Park subway tunnel site late at night. The tunnel's naming occurred when a crew of graffiti artists calling themselves The Underground (UND) gathered at the site late one autumn night in 1971. Several
11270563
Theatre of the Absurd


The Theatre of the Absurd ( ) is a post-World War II designation for particular plays of absurdist fiction written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1950s, as well as one for the style of theatre which has evolved from their work. Their work focused largely on the idea of existentialism and expressed what happens when human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument give way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion, silence. Critic Martin Esslin
5088695
Absurd Person Singular


Absurd Person Singular is a 1972 play by Alan Ayckbourn. Divided into three acts, it documents the changing fortunes of three married couples. Each act takes place at a Christmas celebration at one of the couples' homes on successive Christmas Eves. The play made its world premiere at the Library Theatre, Scarborough on 26 June 1972 and its London début at the Criterion Theatre on 4 July 1973, transferring to the Vaudeville Theatre in September 1974, completing a run of 973 performances. Its official New York Broadway début was at the
5210490
The Story of the Man Who Turned into a Dog


can be classified into many genres of theatre, including Theatre of the Absurd, Metatheatre and Magic realism. Four actors introduce the story by explaining how they learned of the story of the man who turned into a dog, and then explain that they will demonstrate and play this story out for the audience. Actor #1 portrays the Man Who Turned into a Dog, Actors #2 and #3 portray the boss and the people he must work for, and Actress portrays his wife. The Man is in need of a
12092716
Theatre of the Absurd


" addresses some of the themes and uses some of the techniques of Absurdism, especially reminiscent of Beckett and Pinter. In addition, the absurd drama has also found its way in Urdu literature, "Mazaron Ke Phool" [i.e. Graveyard Flowers] (2008) by contemporary Pakistani writer, poet and columnist Mujtaba Haider Zaidi is the first absurd drama in the history of Urdu literature. Created in the pattern of ancient Greek tragedies, the drama contains only two characters, and carries both poetry and prose in it, and hence
5088720
Theatre of the Absurd


fulfills all the requirements necessary for a perfect Absurd drama. Plays within this group are absurd in that they focus not on logical acts, realistic occurrences, or traditional character development; they, instead, focus on human beings trapped in an incomprehensible world subject to any occurrence, no matter how illogical. The theme of incomprehensibility is coupled with the inadequacy of language to form meaningful human connections. According to Martin Esslin, Absurdism is "the inevitable devaluation of ideals, purity, and purpose" Absurdist drama asks its viewer to "
5088721
Theatre state


In political anthropology, a theatre state is a political state directed towards the performance of drama and ritual rather than more conventional ends such as warfare. Power in a theatre state is exercised through spectacle. The term was coined by Clifford Geertz in 1980 in reference to political practice in the nineteenth-century Balinese Negara, but its usage has since expanded. Hunik Kwon and Byung-Ho Chung, for example, argue that contemporary North Korea is a theatre state. In Geertz's original usage, the concept of the theatre state
16361124
Theatre of the Absurd


classical sources, than from first-hand experience and a desire to find a new theatrical expression that would enable you to render this experience in all its acuteness and also its immediacy. If Sartre and Camus thought out these themes, you expressed them in a far more vital contemporary fashion". Ionesco replied, "I have the feeling that these writers – who are serious and important – were talking about absurdity and death, but that they never really lived these themes, that they did not feel them within themselves in an
5088713
Waiting for Godot


large, the theories of existentialism assert that conscious reality is very complex and without an "objective" or universally known value: the individual must create value by affirming it and living it, not by simply talking about it or philosophising it in the mind. The play may be seen to touch on all of these issues. Martin Esslin, in his "The Theatre of the Absurd" (1960), argued that "Waiting for Godot" was part of a broader literary movement that he called the Theatre of the Absurd
14932506
Lehrstücke


term could also be understood as "teaching-play". Reiner Steinweg goes so far as to suggest adopting a term coined by the Brazilian avant garde theatre director Zé Celso, "Theatre of Discovery", as being even clearer. Although the texts have a highly formal, rigorous structure, this is designed to facilitate insertions or deletions (according to the exigencies of the particular project). With no actor–audience separation, the emphasis in performance is upon the process rather than upon evincing a final product. This diminishes
14916383
Greenwich Village


it is New York City's oldest continuously running Off-Broadway theater. A landmark in Greenwich Village's cultural landscape, it was built as a farm silo in 1817, and also served as a tobacco warehouse and box factory before Edna St. Vincent Millay and other members of the Provincetown Players converted the structure into a theatre they christened the Cherry Lane Playhouse, which opened on March 24, 1924, with the play "The Man Who Ate the Popomack". During the 1940s The Living Theatre, Theatre of the Absurd,
12768644
Icarus Theatre Collective


the Collective. Formed in the winter of 2003/2004, the company started off as a small, informal group of theatre professionals working in various sectors of the industry who embarked on their first professional production as an ensemble. Audiences packed in and critics raved: "50's absurdism made over as 90's, in-yer-face, apocalypticism!" (Time Out on The Lesson) The aftermath developed into what is now The Icarus Theatre Collective. Icarus' following production was named Critics' Choice in Time Out and The
16102580
History of the rupee


term "Rupataraka" is mentioned by Patanjali in reference to one who checks the Karshapana coins. An early Pali scripture uses the term "Mashaka-rupa", Mashaka being a token Karshapana. The term was no longer in much use to refer to a coin in later eras. In the Rajatarangini, uses the term "rupakas" for gold coins, they are called "svarna-rupakas". The Kathasaritsagara calls the gold Dinar coins "svarna-rupakas". "Arthashastra", written by Chanakya, prime minister
21107183
Aleks Sierz


Aleks Sierz is a British theatre critic. He is known for coining the term "In-yer-face theatre", which was the title of a book he published in 2001. Sierz was educated at Manchester University and holds a PhD from Westminster University. He works as a freelance writer and has written for publications including "Tribune", "The Arts Desk" and "The Stage", as well as newspapers such as "The Independent". He co-edits "Theatre Voice". He is a
6531548
Drag (clothing)


Francisco drag troupe, The Cockettes (1970–72), who performed with glitter eyeshadow and gilded mustaches and beards, the term "genderfuck" was coined. Drag broke out from underground theatre in the persona of Divine in John Waters's "Pink Flamingos" (1972): see also Charles Pierce. The crowd surrounding Andy Warhol's Factory scene of the 1960s–1980s also included some drag queens who achieved a certain amount of fame, such as Candy Darling and Holly Woodlawn, both immortalized in the Lou Reed song "Walk on the
17023127
Antonin Artaud


November 1947, French radio finally broadcast the performance of " Artaud has been cited as a profoundly influential figure in the history of theatre, avant-garde art, literature, and other disciplines. His work proved to be a significant influence on the Theatre of the Absurd, particularly the works of Jean Genet and Samuel Beckett, and helped inspire a movement away from the dominant role of language and rationalism in contemporary theatre. Artaud also had a significant influence on the philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, who borrowed Artaud's phrase
2650236
Theatre of Scotland


absurd. Similarly, Donaidh MacIlleathain (Donnie Maclean), made use of absurd dialogue in "An Sgoil Dhubh" ("A Dark School", 1974). Many of these authors continued writing into the 1980s and even the 1990s, but this was something of a golden age for Gaelic drama that has not been matched. The political and funding climate changed radically after the failure of the devolution referendum of 1979 and the election of a Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher. The Scottish Arts Council encouraged theatre companies to function as
13170969
Albie Thoms


court, where he was successful in refuting the charge. "A Revue of the Absurd" was also staged in Melbourne as part of the Marlowe Society’s Theatre of the Absurd season, organised by Bill Wakler. Thoms’ next productions were Arrabal's "Fando and Lis and the Two Executioners" (1963) for SUDS, after which he formed the Contemporary Theatre Company (CTC) with Arthur Hynes, and staged Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1963). Under the CTC banner, he also directed "A
2532353
Theatre of the Absurd


Edward Albee, Malay Roy Choudhury, Tadeusz Różewicz, Sławomir Mrożek, N.F. Simpson, and Badal Sarkar. In the first edition of "The Theatre of the Absurd", Esslin saw the work of these playwrights as giving artistic meaning to Albert Camus's philosophy that life is inherently without meaning, as illustrated in his work "The Myth of Sisyphus". In the first (1961) edition, Esslin presented the four defining playwrights of the movement as Samuel Beckett, Arthur Adamov, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet, and
5088701
Absurdism


offers the most basic "way out" of absurdity: the immediate termination of the self and its place in the universe. The absurd encounter can also arouse a "leap of faith," a term derived from one of Kierkegaard's early pseudonyms, "Johannes de Silentio" (although the term was not used by Kierkegaard himself), where one believes that there is more than the rational life (aesthetic or ethical). To take a "leap of faith," one must act with the "virtue of the
8365104
Stark Raving Theatre


are - well, close to Zero...Which leaves it to little Stark Raving Theatre which at least took an honest stab." Westlake's parody of absurdism "From Here to Absurdity", and Suttle's innovative take on "Titus Andronicus" followed. The group was committed to a pay-what-you-can sliding scale, and asked for $0–$15 at the door, and $0–$500+ from subscribers/contributors. Stage readings began in September, 1989 and new plays were being submitted. This approach was
11627155
Birth and After Birth


The Bald Soprano. This experience is what got her interested in absurdest theatre. There are three main characteristics that plays that belong to the theatre of the absurd have that can all be found in Howe's work. 1.) The work discusses the senselessness and meaninglessness of life. 2.) The piece of work is either completely existential or has existential elements to it. 3.) The work has to have ridiculous or absurd plot lines that should make little to no sense. If a piece has these three elements
13819037
Theatre of the Absurd


from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Echoes of elements of "The Theatre of the Absurd" can be seen in the work of many later playwrights, from more avant-garde or experimental playwrights like Suzan-Lori Parks—in "The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World" and "The America Play", for example—to relatively realistic playwrights like David Mamet—in "Glengarry Glen Ross", which Mamet dedicated to Harold Pinter. Irish playwright Martin McDonagh in plays such as "Pillowman
5088719
Literature in modern Scotland


"We Have to Laugh", 1969), which focused on threats to the Gaelic language. Other major figures included Tormod Calum Dòmhnallach (1927–2000), whose work included "Anna Chaimbeul" ("Anna Campbell", 1977), which was influenced by Japanese Noh theatre. Fionnlagh MacLeòid's (Finley Macleod) work included "Ceann Cropic" (1967), which was strongly influenced by the theatre of the absurd. Similarly, Donaidh MacIlleathain (Donnie Maclean), made use of absurd dialogue in "An Sgoil
9172642
Absurdity


., which all use examples that could be found in Aristotelian or scholastic philosophy, and all reflect "Hobbes' commitment to the new science of Galileo and Harvey". This is known as "Hobbes' Table of Absurdity". According to Martinich, Gilbert Ryle discussed the types of problem Hobbes refers to as absurdities under the term "category error". Although common usage now considers "absurdity" to be synonymous with "ridiculousness", Hobbes discussed the two concepts as different, in that absurdity is viewed as having
17553074
American burlesque


it inspired a 2010 musical film, "Burlesque", starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. The term "burlesque" more generally means a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. Burlesque in literature and in theatre through the 19th century was intentionally ridiculous in that it imitated several styles and combined imitations of certain authors and artists with absurd descriptions. Burlesque depended on the reader's (or listener's) knowledge of the subject
13067154
Modernism


, Pierre Matisse's gallery, and Peggy Guggenheim's gallery "The Art of This Century", as well as other factors. Paris, moreover, recaptured much of its luster in the 1950s and 60s as the center of a machine art florescence, with both of the leading machine art sculptors Jean Tinguely and Nicolas Schöffer having moved there to launch their careers—and which florescence, in light of the technocentric character of modern life, may well have a particularly long lasting influence. The term "Theatre of the Absurd"
19776269
Theatre of the Oppressed


analyse and transform the reality in which they are living. Although it was first officially adopted in the 1970s, Theatre of the Oppressed, a term coined by Augusto Boal, is a series of theatrical analyses and critiques was first developed in the 1950s. Boal was an avid supporter of using interactive techniques, especially in the context of theatre. Many of his ideas are considered as "a new media perspective", despite the relatively early birth of these ideas. Since then, these ideas have been developed more, giving them
16495243
Kiko Argüello


in an interview. He wondered how it was possible "that we live in a world full of injustices when inside we have a desire for justice." Through his involvement with a theatre group, he "learned something of the philosophy of Sartre, (No Exit, The Flies, etc.), and in the end Sartre gives us an answer: that the world is absurd, everything is absurd, that we have a craving for justice and live in an unjust world because everything is absurd." Argüello tried
18822017
Theatre of the Absurd


" or in many of Albee's plays, "The Zoo Story" for example). Despite its reputation for nonsense language, much of the dialogue in Absurdist plays is naturalistic. The moments when characters resort to nonsense language or clichés—when words appear to have lost their denotative function, thus creating misunderstanding among the characters—make the Theatre of the Absurd distinctive. Language frequently gains a certain phonetic, rhythmical, almost musical quality, opening up a wide range of often comedic playfulness. Jean Tardieu, for example,
5088728
The Dunciad


to publish an exceptionally lavish and ornate edition (with a text that was based on Pope's own edition). He is outshone in darkness by one Benson, who is even more absurd, in that he begins putting up monuments of John Milton, striking coins and medals of Milton, and translating Milton's Latin poetry and who had then passed from excessive Milton fanaticism to fanaticism for Arthur Johnston, a Scottish physician and Latin poet. Unable to be the most fantastically vain man, Hamner prepares to withdraw his edition, but
4579632
Farce


In theatre, a farce is a comedy that aims at entertaining the audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, and thus improbable. Farce is also characterized by physical humor, the use of deliberate absurdity or nonsense, and broadly stylized performances. It is also often set in one particular location, where all events occur. Farces have been written for the stage and film. The term "farce" is derived from the French word for "stuffing", in reference to improvisations applied by actors to medieval religious dramas
13281249
Theatre of the Absurd


Although the term is applied to a wide range of plays, some characteristics coincide in many of the plays: broad comedy, often similar to vaudeville, mixed with horrific or tragic images; characters caught in hopeless situations forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions; dialogue full of clichés, wordplay, and nonsense; plots that are cyclical or absurdly expansive; either a parody or dismissal of realism and the concept of the "well-made play". These plays were shaped by the political turmoil, scientific breakthrough, and social
5088697
Andrew Pennycuicke


at different times.) With the closure of the theatres (which Pennycuicke himself termed "the absurdity of times"), many actors had to find other means of earning a living. Pennycuicke made the switch from actor to stationer, selling and publishing books. (Other ex-actors, Alexander Gough and William Cartwright, made the same career shift in the same era.) Pennycuicke's earliest known product was Robert Chamberlain's "Nocturnal Lucubrations" (1652). Given his prior career, it is not surprising that
6559189
Lene Thiesen


Lene Thiesen (b. 1947 in Copenhagen) is the former director of the Copenhagen International Theatre (). In 1992, Thiesen was named 'Woman of the Year' by the Danish magazine "Alt for damerne". Thiesen earned a Ph.D. in French at the University of Copenhagen, with a thesis on the Armenian, Russian-born Theatre of the Absurd playwright Artur Adamov, who wrote in French after moving to Paris. She worked as an EU translator in Brussels for a time, but left to return to Denmark.
789354
Waiting for Godot


, a form of theatre which stemmed from the absurdist philosophy of Albert Camus. Absurdism itself is a branch of the traditional assertions of existentialism, pioneered by Søren Kierkegaard, and posits that, while inherent meaning might very well exist in the universe, human beings are incapable of finding it due to some form of mental or philosophical limitation. Thus humanity is doomed to be faced with "the Absurd", or the absolute absurdity of the existence in lack of intrinsic purpose. Just after Didi and Gogo have been particularly selfish and
14932507
Theatre of the Absurd


Eugène Ionesco from Romania; Arthur Adamov from Russia; Alejandro Jodorowsky from Chile and Fernando Arrabal from Spain. As the influence of the Absurdists grew, the style spread to other countries—with playwrights either directly influenced by Absurdists in Paris or playwrights labelled Absurdist by critics. In England some of those whom Esslin considered practitioners of the Theatre of the Absurd include Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, N. F. Simpson, James Saunders, and David Campton; in the United States, Edward Albee, Sam Shepard, Jack Gelber, and John
5088717
Cyberformance


approaches, with both remote and proximal audiences and/or performers. The term 'cyberformance' (a portmanteau word blending 'cyberspace' with 'performance') was coined by the net artist and curator Helen Varley Jamieson. She states that the invention of this term in 2000 "came out of the need to find a word that avoided the polarisation of virtual and real, and the need for a new term (rather than 'online performance' or 'virtual theatre') for a new genre". Jamieson traces the history
5976416
Bunyip aristocracy


Bunyip aristocracy is an Australian term satirising attempts to develop an aristocracy in the colonies now forming that country. It was first coined in 1853 by Daniel Deniehy who made a speech lambasting the attempt by William Wentworth to establish a titled aristocracy in the New South Wales government. This speech came to be known as the "Bunyip Aristocracy speech". Deniehy made speeches opposing the new self-titled Australian aristocracy in the Victorian theatre and on the soapbox at Circular Quay. In response to Wentworth's proposal to create a hereditary peerage in
20872973
Bowery Theatre


minstrel shows, and melodrama enjoyed the most frequent billings, and hybrid forms, such as melodramas about dogs saving their human masters, became unprecedented successes. Spectacular productions with advanced visual effects, including water and fire, featured prominently. Hamblin also innovated by using gas lighting in lieu of candles and kerosene lamps. The Bowery Theatre earned the nickname "The Slaughterhouse" for its low-class offerings, and terms like "Bowery melodrama" and "Bowery actors" were coined to characterize the new type of theatre. In the
11189004
Rusty Bugles


the theatre of the absurd would be established as a 'legitimate' dramatic form where plot and the delineation of character are less important than the insight offered into the implicit drama of most human interactions. The play was adapted for TV by the ABC in 1965 and then later in 1981. Both versions were directed by Alan Burke who had directed the stage play in 1949. The play was also adapted by the ABC for radio in 1965. The play was adapted for the ABC's "Wednesday Theatre" in 1965. It
6669476
The Switchman


beyond simple satire and more resembles on the European theatre of absurdism. In his piece, Arreola focuses on reality as well. He feels that those with authority create absurd laws and conditions in their domain, and their subjects often willingly accept these absurdities, much like ordinary train passengers. In “The Switchman,” the passenger questions the conditions around him. The stranger’s final named destination, X rather than T., also can have multiple meanings: The stranger could either be already affected by the country’s insanity, attempting
10816516