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8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
1/20
THEATRE
OFTHE
ABSURD
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
2/20
The term (now genre)Theatre of the Absurd was
coined b critic !artin Ess"in to bring attention to a
grou# of #"awrights whose #"as con$eed a common
sense of an%iet& confusion and ho#e"essness in
reaction to an une%#"ainab"e& un#redictab"e and
absurd uni$erse'
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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Two maor contributing factors to this genre were the
atrocities of or"d ar ** and the #hi"oso#hica"
+uestions regarding the meaning of "ife raised
b E%istentia"ists'
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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ithin the word existentialism is the word exist.
e are thrown into e%istence without a choice'
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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Howe$er& once we e%ist& we ha$e the
freedom to choose how to e%ist'
e ha$e the freedom to choose to create
meaningfu"& $a"uab"e "i$es'
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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With that freedom of choice,comes
an%iet and fear.
An%iet that we may make the
,RO-./choices!
Fear that we may die before
we find meaning
in our lives!
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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!ere e%istence has no #ur#ose'
Des#ite the fear and an%iet&
we can choose our #ur#ose
and define it'
U"timate"& we decide if our "i$es ha$e $a"ue'
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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Perhaps the best-know existentialist, Jean-Paul artres works
included essays, novels and plays such as "o #xit.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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$lbert %amus, wrote &he 'yth of
isyphus, among other works with
existential themes. (sing the )reek
myth to show the futility of
existence, isyphus 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. #xistence seems
pointless, but perhaps isyphus
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.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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&he father of &heatre of the $bsurd amuel *eckett wrote,
among others,Waiting for )odot, +appy ays,
and $ct Without Words,
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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#ugene onescos plays include &he eader , &he /hinoceros,
&he *ald oprano, 'acbett, &he 0illing )ame, and &he %hairs.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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&om toppard wrote, among others, /osencrant1 and
)uildenstern $re ead, &he /eal &hing, Jumpers, andhe co-wrote the screenplay for hakespeare in ove.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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+arold Pinters plays include &he /oom, &he *irthday Party,
&he +omecoming, and *etrayal.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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#dward $lbees plays include &he 2oo tory, andbox,
Whos $fraid of 3irginia Woolf, and eascape.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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am hepards many plays include $ ie of the 'ind,
4ool for ove and his Pulit1er Pri1e play *uried %hild.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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am hepard is also a respected actor and director. +es
acted in 56 films including *lack +awk own, &he /ight
tuff, %rimes of the +eart, and teel 'agnolias.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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&hornton Wilder, known
for writing 7ur &own
also wrote theabsurdist play
&he kin of 7ur &eeth.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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%hristopher urangs many plays
include eath %omes to (s $ll,
'ary $gnes, 8dentity %risis,
&he $ctors "ightmare, *aby
and the *athwater, and
&he 'arriage of *ette and *oo.
8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism
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The #"as of these and other Absurdist #"awrights ha$e
common themes inc"uding the use"essness of human actions&
the fai"ure of human communication& an i""ogica" uni$erse
(from fascist go$ernments to dsfunctiona" fami"ies)&
co""ecti$e unconsciousness& menacing forces& and
fee"ings of a"ienation and ho#e"essness'
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Howe$er most #"as of this genre are considered to be
in the tradition of tragicomed'
e "augh at and identif with man of the characters
strugg"ing& as we do& to ma0e sense of our "i$es and the wor"d'