ABSURDISMActor’s Studio – April 8th, 2013

ABSURDISM

Let’s face it… it’s just plain weird.

ABUSRDISM

Like…. SUPER weird

WHAT IS IT?

It is a search out of chaos because we can’t find our way.

A conflict between human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life

COME AGAIN??

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.

…WHAT?

CHAOSUNCERTAINTY

CLOSELY RELATED TO EXISTENTIALSIM Existentialism

No god, no morals We develop our own path

ORIGIN OF ABSURDISM

•Post WWII Germany - 1950s•What do you think led the Germans to create this philosophy? •Why did they feel it necessary to create theatre like this?

SOCIAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT

•Do you think Theatre of the Absurd was well received by audiences?

•What did the typical theatre goers expect from an evening at the theatre?

TWO MAIN CONCEPTS

The random, lack of connection between actions, objects and words.

The playfulness between the actors in being able to convey this randomness.

AU REVOIR

Say goodbye to the unities and the “well-made play”

NOTHING MAKES SENSE

ABSURDIST PLAYWRIGHTS Samuel Beckett

Waiting for Godot (1948)▪ The futility of waiting

for something that will never come

Edward Albee The Zoo Story

(1958) Who’s Afraid of

Virginia Woolf? (1962)

ABUSRDIST PLAYWRIGHTS Tom Stoppard

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1966)

Eugene Ionesco The Lesson 1951▪ Prof. deals with

monotonies of language while teaching others

NONSENSICAL SCENES