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    616 views200 pages

    Theatre of The Absurd by Martin Esslin

    Uploaded by

    Harsha Grover

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 200
    Zz a a = = E = z a a s = = = = = a = = = Li = = = ‘The plays of Samuel Beckett, Fugéne Toneseo, Arthur Adaiov, Jean-Genet, and a mimber of other avant-garde waters in France, Brtaio, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the United States mark a now developrnent in the contemporary theatre. Because its basi premise isthe ultimate absurdity of the human condition, Martin Fsslin has called it the ‘Theatre of the Absurd, In this book he analyzes the work of its major exponents and traces its antecedents—the mimus of antiquity, the Commedia dell Arte, the French Harlequin- ade, the English music hall, American vaudeville, the ex: ‘ressionist and surrealist drama of the early twentieth Gen ‘say, the Keystone Kops, dadaism, Brecht’ epic theatre, and the Marx brothers’ movies. At the same time he shows how iteflets the changes in science, psychology, and philosophy that have been taking place inthe past fifty years. A student of the theatre in both Europe and Ameria, Mr. Esitin has ‘bated his interpretation on productions ofthe plays in dif- ferent countries and on personal interviews with mehy of the dramatists, Tho Theatre of the Absurd, he eonclides, anitrors the present sitation of Westem man and will leave «permanent imprint on the history of drama, q ‘Martin Esslin is also author of Brecht: The Man and His Work (4244). ‘ever design ty Jeok Wolfgang Bock THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD { Mone East was bora ia Hongary and grew up in Vionna. He majored in English and philsophy at the Uni versity of Vienna and attended the Reinhaad (Theatrical) Seminar, where he studied to be a director. Just as ho was on the point of starting his theatrical eareer, it 1998, the Nazis moved into Vienna and he was forced to leave, He spent « year in Brussels, and then came to England, where be became a scriptwriter and prodocer for the B.B.C. He has written for the B.B.C. a large number of radio features on poliieal, so- lal and literary sobjects and is at present hoad of its radio ama department, He isthe author of Brecht: The Mon and His Work (A 243). by Martin Esslin THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD ANCHOR BOOKS Doubleday & Company, Inc, Carden City, New York ance seantiy: Quelle ext la morale? ‘The Anchor Books edition fs the Bt xm voneruen: Cest A vous de la trouver. publication of The Theatre of the Absurd. “Anchor Books edition: 1961 Library of Congres Catalog Card Nomber 81-195 "Git Soh by Sn Ent ‘il Rights Reserved Panto ia the Uated iss af Anebcs Toneseo, La Cantatrice Chawee i j | i | i | i G36 Rees! xg OGRE Fanboy TYR POREVSE 3668 ~ 24 i | i CONTENTS PREFACE, nerROpUCHION: THE AUSURDITY OF TH ANSURD CHAPTER ONE: SAMUEL BECKETT! THE SEARCH FOR (CHAPTER TWO: ARTHUR ADAMOV: THE CURABLE AND {Ime INCURABLE, CHAPTER THREE: EUGLNE IONESCO: THEATRE AND ANTI-TMEATIE CHAPTER FOUR! JEAN GENET! A HALL OF S4TRRORS CHAPTER YIVE! PARATEELS AND PROSELYTES Jean Tardieu Boris Vian Dino Buzzati Ezio ¢'Exrico ‘Manuel de Pedrolo Femando Arabal “Amos Kenan ‘Max Frisch, Wolfgang Hildesheimer Ginter Grass Robert Pinget "7 140 168 168 176 179 oo 8a 286 190 i 194 295 ee af Ba oe Xetmu eet Stspaen - ivan abe 2 rete ee eee CUAPTER SEVEN: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 4USERD 290 Tea a PREFACE ‘This is a book on a development in the contemporary theatre: the type of drama associated with the names of Sam- ‘uel Beckett, Engine lonesco, Arthur Adamoy, Jean. Genet, and a number of other avant-garde waiters in France, Britain, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United States, and elsewhere. ‘Books on theatre subjects have a tendenoy to be ephemeral; in most bookshops, the shelves with the autobiographies of sar actors and collections of Iast year’s hits have a tired look. T should never have written this book had I not been con vyineed that its subject had an importance transcending the somewhat confined world of theatre literature. For the theatre, in spite of its epparent eclipse through tho rise of the mass ‘media, remains of immense and, if anything, growing stgnif- ccance—precisely because of the spread of the cinema and tele- vision. ‘These mass media are too ponderous and costly to indulge in much experiment and innovation. So, however re- stricted the theatre and its audience may be, its on the living stage that the actors and playwrights of the mass media aro trained and gain their experience and the material of the mass ‘media is tested. The avant-gardo of the theatre today is, more likely than not, the anain influence on the mass media of to- morrow, And the mass media, in tur, shape a great deal of ‘he thought and fecling of people throughout tho Western world. ‘Thus the type of theatre discussed in this book is by no ’ ‘means of concem only to a narrow circle of intellectuals, Tt may provide a new Janguage, new ideas, new approaches, and aoe 387 ‘a new, vitalized philosophy to transform the modes of thought and feeling of the public at lage in a not too dstont future. Moreover, an. understanding of this kind of theatre, which 4s till misunderstood By tio of the iis, lieve, also cast light on current tendencios of thought in other fiche, ‘or at least show how a new convention of this $0 -Shangesin-sclenee~poyealogs,.and_pllosophy, that have Den taking place in the last elf conty. The that, an art amore broadly bated than pooty or abstract panting without boing like the mass media, the collective product of corpora- tions, i the point of interscction where the deeper trends of changing thought frst reach a larger publi. There has been some comment onthe fact that the Theatxe of the Absurd represents trends that have beta appazeat in the more csotaio kinds of lterature since the nineteen wentes (oyee, Sureaism, Kafka) orn printing since the ist decade of this century (Cubism, abstract panting). This i certainly true. Bat the theatre could not put these innovations before its wider public until these trends had hd time to iter into wider consciouress. And, as this book hopes to show, the entre can make ies own very original couttbtion to hip Seumaee sake Til Kock Wan tiny doe the ct ht ra care beled te Ret ‘aRE SF some" ot 16 mal ents.and. provide. an. analysis ge On ps ad tein ff mportit plays: to.introduce a number of lesse¥ Ki in the san Ses conentORE ts soe I Bis sonctine ciel aot ete con tae satel pk feel at ae eget aed ely ‘nally, to explaiir tts” an ssion—and one of ‘the most representative onesofthe-atasnt sation of West. "Te has been sizhily said that what « erie wants to under stand he must, at one time, have deeply loved, even if only for a fleeting moment. This book is written from the potnt vow of a ertic who has derived some memorable experiences’ from watching and reading the work of the dramatists of the abet staan EH eee eer eng enemy Pree at me ecerer tt ee ATG Toten sgaea end an produced sone of Lng einy orap ame poate hand, if the concentration here on this one type of theatre pete ceaes aris aaeuctens seers ihre pied ipo pinie mere rey See ee bare oats tar lute ee tation to one subject for this one book. Zee of his. newe, eee a eT Tamme crioteeaat a oe “Gethe opiat or te wie ot al Tat Bs sens Eee, we eats te nck of iota eat at pee Src eek eae kis still to early to sce clearly whether the Theatre of the Absurd will develop into a separate type of drama, or whether pep pi pe tee aaah err Se acca ea ares a i perp gree tos Sees aa In writing this book I have been greatly helped by some of Peete cl raha rays ay ee Thave been eaiiating cperences tha aie ea uals wren te Ia ering Ta at rrr fre Pee ioe aie cuca phe Adamov; M. and Mme. Eugéne Ionesco; Sefior Fernando ‘Arrabal; Sefior Manuel de Pedrolo; Mr. N. F. Sizapsons and te ie T am also greaily indebted to Mr. Eric Bentley, who contin goat etn oh fo Regine eae oe foie Gooner Saeco a book might not have been written; to Dr. Herbert Blau, of the Actors’ Workshop in San Franeiseo; Mr. Edward Gold- berger; Mr. Christopher Holme; Sefior F. M. Lorda; and Mr. ‘David Tutaey for drawing my sttention to writers and plays that fall within the purview of this book and for the loan of See be os erara t ne ar des ease Hgnas Gain Marci Riso Mr Ghee Rees se Mog Tales hin Bart Shei te Coe cae Soe Raat tna oe ps ae abs material ond information, and to Miss Nanoy Twist and Messrs. Grant and Cutler for bibliographical assistance. My wife helped me greatly by providing constructive exit ism and encouragement, INTRODUCTION: THE ABSURDITY OF THE ABSURD On November 19, 2957, a group of woried actors were preparing to face thelr audience. The actors were members of the company of the Sen Francisco Actors’ Workshop. The faudience consisted of fourteen hundred convits at the San ‘Quentin penitentiary. No live play had been performed af San Quentin since Sarah Berabardt appeared there in 1919, Now, forty-four years later, the play that bad been chosen, largely ‘beeause no woman appeared in it, waa Samuel Beckett's Wait- {ng for Godot, "No wonder the actors and Herbert Bla, the director, were apprehensive. How were they to face one of the toughest au- dionces in the world with a highly obscure, intellectual play fat had produced near riots among a good many highly so- phistcated audiences in Western Burope? Herbest Blan do- faded to prepare the San Quentin audience for what was to come. He stepped onto the stage and addressed the packed, darkened North Dining Hall—s sea of Bickering matchos that the convicls tossed over their shoulders after lighting their clgatetis. Blau compared the play to a piece of jae music “to which one must listen for whatsver one may find in i.” In tho same way, he hoped, there would be some mesning, some personal significance for each member of the audience Jn Waiting for Godot. ‘The curtain parted. The play began. And what had be- wwildered the sophisticated audiences of Paris, London, and New York was immediately grasped by an audience of con- Wits, As the writer of “Memos of a FistNighter" put it in ‘the columns of the prison paper, the San Quentin News: ai ‘Ime THKATRE OF THE ABSURD The trio of muscle-nen, biceps overflowing, who parked all 642 Ibs on the aisle and waited for the gitls and fanny stuff, When this didn’t appear they audibly fumed and aue dibly decided to wait until the houso lights dimmed before escaping. They made one error. They listened and looked two minutes too long—and stayed. Left at the end. All shook. . Or as the writer of the Iead story ofthe same paper reported, under the headline, “San Francisco Group Leaves $.0. Aue ‘ieneo Waiting for Godot”: From the moment Robin Wagner's thoughtful arid lim- Dolike set was dressed with light, until the last futile and expectant handclasp wes hesitantly activated between the two searching vagrants, the San Francisco company had its audience of captives in its collective hand. . . . Those that hhad felt a less controversial vehicle should be attempted as a first play here had their fears allayed a short five minutes after the Samuel Beckett piece began to unfold? ‘A reporter from the San Franciseo Chronicle who was pres: ‘ent noted that the convicts did not find it diffeult to un derstand the play. One prisoner told him, “Godot is society.” Said another: “He's the outside.”® A teacher at the prison was quoted as saying, "They know what is meant by waiting. . and they knew if Godot finally came, he would only be a disappointment.”« The ledding article of the prison paper showed how clearly the writer had understood the meaning ‘of the play: Jt was an expression, symbolic in order to avoid all per- sonal errr, by an author who expected each member of his audience to draw his own conclusions, mak his own e:rors, tasked nothing in point, it forced no dramatized moral on the viewer, it held out no specific hope. . . . Were still ‘waiting for Godot, and shall continue to walt. When the scenery gets too drab and the action too slow, well call each other names and swoar to part foreverbut then, there's no place to gol® ‘ Its said that Godot himself, as well es turns of phrase and Introduction: The Absurdity of the Absurd characters from the play, have since become a permanent part ‘of the private language, the institutional mythology of San Quentin. Why did a ply of tho supposedly esoteric avant-garde rake so immediate and so deep an impact on an audience of ‘convicts? Because it confronted them with a situation in sme sways analogous to theie ova? Perhaps. Or perhaps beceuso ‘hey were unsophisticated enough to come tothe theatro with- ‘oat any preconceived notions and ready-made expectations, 40 that they avoided the mistake that tapped so many estab: Tished critics who condemned the play for is lack of plot, de- velopment, charactrization, suspeese, oF plain common sense, Certainly the prisoners of San Quentin could not be suspected ‘ofthe sin of intellectual snobbery, for which a sizable propor- tion of the audiences of Waiting for Godot have often been reproached; of pretending to like a play they did not even begin to understand, just to appear in the know. The reception of Waiting for Godot at Sen Quontin, and the wide acclaim plays by Tonesco, Adamoy, Pinter, and others Ihave received, testify that these plays, which are so often su ppeciliously dismissed as nonsense ar mystifcation, have somne- ‘thing to say and can.be.understood. Most af the ineomprehen- sion with which plays of this type are still being received by cites and theatrical reviewers, most of the bewilderment they Ihave caused and to which they still give rise, come from the fact that they are part of a new, and still developing, stage coavontion that has not yet been generally understood and has Juardly ever been defined. Inevitably, pleys written in this now ‘convention will, when judged by the standards and criteria of ‘another, bo rogarded as impertinent and outregoous impos- tures, If» good play must have a cleverly constructed story, these have no story ar plot to speak of; if a good play is judged by subtlety of characterization and motivation, these are often present the audience with explained these often have neither a beginning noran.ead; it a good play is to hold the mirror up to nature and portray the man- ners and mannerisms of the age in finely observed sketches, wilt ‘rig THEATER OF THE ABSURD ‘these’ seem often to be reflections of dreams and nightmares; if a good play relies on witty repartee and pointed dialogue, these often consist of incoherent babblings. T But the plays we aro concerned with here pursue ends quite {diferent Troin those of the conventional play and therefore J vs0 quit diferent mothods, They ean be judged only by-the— { standards of the Thotre ofthe Absurd, which Ris the purpose of this book to define and ean. Tt must be stressed, however, thet the dramatists wWhoss work is here presented and discussed under the generic head~ ing of the. Theatro of the Absurd do-not farm part.of-any self-proclaimed or self-conscious schol or mavement, On the conirary, each of the writers in question is an individual who regards hiinself as Tone outsider, cut off and isolated in his private world. Each has his own personel approach to both subject matter and form; his own roots, sources, and back- ground, If they also, very clearly and in spite of thomsolves, have @ good deel in common, it is because their work most sensitively mirrors and reflects the preoccupations and aniie Bes, the emotions and thinking of an important segment ‘their contemporaries in the Western world, ‘This isnot to say that their works are representative of mass attitudes. It is an oversimplifcation to assume that any a presents « homogeneous pattern: Ours being, more-than inast others, an age of transition, it displays a bewilderingly strat Yod.picture: medioval beliefs stil held and. overlaid’ By “ighteenth-century rationalism and mid-nineteenth-century Marxina, rocked by sudden yoleanie eruptions of prehistoric fanaticisms and primitive tribal cults. Each of these compo- nents of the cultural pattem of the age finds its characteristic autistic expression. The Theatre of the Absurd, however, ex bbe seen as the reflection of whut seems, the attitade most gene tinely representative of our own time's contribution. ‘The hallmark of ths attitude is its sense that the certitudes and unshakable basic assumptions of former ages have been Swept away, that they have been tested and found wanting, ‘that thoy have been discredited as cheap and somewhat chil 4sh dlusions. The dectino of religious faith was masked unt the end of the Second World War by the substitute religion’ of faith in progress, nationalism, and various totalitria fal Introddction: The Abourdity of the Absurd wie tacks, All this wis shattered-by the war. By 1942, Albert + Carnus was calmly putting the question shy, since life bad lost all meaning, man should not seek escape in sulede. In cme of the great, seminal heart-searchings of out time, The Myth of Sioyphus, Camos tried to dlagnose the Iman situa- tion in a world of shattered beliefs: Rae ‘A world that can be explained by reasviing, however +” fqulys «familiar world, But ina universe that is suddenly deprived of illusions and of light, men Sees a straiger. His {ran lremediable exile, bocauso he is deprived of inemories ‘fa lort homeland as Touch as he lacks the hope of a prom- ised land to come. This divorce between mat and his life the actor and his setting, truly constitutes the feeling of ‘Absardity® © s <¢ “Absird” originally means “out of harmony,” in a musical contest. Hence"ts dictionary definition; “ont of harmony with reason oF propriety; ineofgruous, unreasonable, logical.” in 44, common uiage in tho English-speaking world, “absurd” may X Simply mesn “ridiculous.” But this is not the sense in which Camus uses the word, and in which {is used when we speak % the Theatre of the Absurd, In an essay on Kafka, Tonesco ‘Gelined his understanding of the term as follows: “Absurd is that which is devotd of purpose. .« » Gut offSrom his re> ligiows, metaphysical, and transcendental roots, man is Tost; all his actions become senseleds,abmurd, uscless°* ‘This sense of metaphysical anguish at the absurdity of the ~ human condition is, broadly speaking, the theme of the plays. / “of Bockelt, Adamov, Ionesco, Conet, ond the other writers J ‘Gaousted ia this book, But itis not merély the subject matter {hat defines what is here called tho Theatr of th Absurd. A simalar sense of the gonselesmess of life, of the inevitable

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