Theatre of the Absurd
Overview:
☼ Theatre of the Absurd = true theatre of our time
☼ Spectators = thrust w/ grotesquely heightened pic of their own world → world w/out faith,
meaning & genuine freedom of will
☼ Theatrical embodiment & manifestation of existentialism → part reality, part nightmare
☼ Attacks comfortable certainties of religious/ political orthodoxy
☼ Aim: shock audience out of complacency → bring them face to face w/ harsh facts of the human
situation
☼ Surreal / illogical / con ictless / pointless
☼ Sabotages logic ⇢ unexpected & logically impossible
☼ Shedding of easy solutions & confronting illusions = painful but leaves behind a sense of
freedom & relief
☼ Distance bt audience & happenings on stage maintained → imposible to identify oneself w/
characters one doesn’t understand/ whose motives = a closed book
☼ Patterns of poetic images:
:Visual elements
:Lights
:Movement
☼ Lyrical theatre → abstract scenic e ects
☼ Emotional identi cation w/ characters replaced w/ puzzled, critical attention
☼ Nothing accomplished/ gained
☼ Elements of the Absurd:
: Meaninglessness
: Out of Harmony
☼ Challenge to accept the human condition as it is w/ all its mystery & absurdity w/ dignity and
responsibly
☼ There are no easy solutions to mysteries of existence bc: ultimately man = alone in meaningless
world
☼ In last resort: Absurd theatre doesn’t provoke tears of despair INSTEAD provoked laughter of
liberation
fi fl ff
Overview:
☼ Theatre of the Absurd = true theatre of our time
☼ Spectators = thrust w/ grotesquely heightened pic of their own world → world w/out faith,
meaning & genuine freedom of will
☼ Theatrical embodiment & manifestation of existentialism → part reality, part nightmare
☼ Attacks comfortable certainties of religious/ political orthodoxy
☼ Aim: shock audience out of complacency → bring them face to face w/ harsh facts of the human
situation
☼ Surreal / illogical / con ictless / pointless
☼ Sabotages logic ⇢ unexpected & logically impossible
☼ Shedding of easy solutions & confronting illusions = painful but leaves behind a sense of
freedom & relief
☼ Distance bt audience & happenings on stage maintained → imposible to identify oneself w/
characters one doesn’t understand/ whose motives = a closed book
☼ Patterns of poetic images:
:Visual elements
:Lights
:Movement
☼ Lyrical theatre → abstract scenic e ects
☼ Emotional identi cation w/ characters replaced w/ puzzled, critical attention
☼ Nothing accomplished/ gained
☼ Elements of the Absurd:
: Meaninglessness
: Out of Harmony
☼ Challenge to accept the human condition as it is w/ all its mystery & absurdity w/ dignity and
responsibly
☼ There are no easy solutions to mysteries of existence bc: ultimately man = alone in meaningless
world
☼ In last resort: Absurd theatre doesn’t provoke tears of despair INSTEAD provoked laughter of
liberation
fi fl ff
