Question- Write a note on the origin, history and formal experimentation of the Theatre of the Absurd.

Related Short Answer Questions
1. Mention briefly the origin of The Theatre of The Absurd.
2. Write a short note on the History of the Theatre of the Absurd.
3. Mention briefly the formal experimentation of the Theatre of the Absurd.

Answer -

Origin: The term was coined by the critic Martin Esslin, who made it the title of a book on the subject first published in 1961 and in two later revised edition; the third and final edition appeared in 2004. 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 edition, Esslin presented the four defining playwrights of the movement as Samuel Beckett, Arthur, Adamov, Euegene Lonesco, and Jean Genet, and in subsequent editions he added a fifth playwright, Harold Pinter- although each of there writers has unique preoccupations and characteristics that go beyond term 'absurd'. Other writer associated with this group by Esslin and other critics include Tom Stopperd's Friedrich Durrenmatt', Fernando Arrabal, Edward Albee, Boris Vian and Jean Tar dieu.

History: The "Absurd" or "New Theater" movement was originally a Paris-based avant-grade phenomenon tied to extremely small theatres in the Quartier Latin. Some of the absurdists were born in France such as Jean Genet, Jean Tardieu, and Boris Vian. Many other Absurdists were born elsewhere but lived in France, writing often in French: Samuel Beckett from Ireland; Eugene Lonesco from Romania; Arthur Adamov from Russia; 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 labeled Absurdists by critics. In England some of whom Esslin considered practitioners of "The Theatre of the Absurd" include: Harold Pinter, Tom Stopperd, N.F. Simpson, James Saunders and David Compton; in the United States, Edward Albee, Sam Shephard, Jack Galber, and John Gaure; In Poland, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Slawomir Mrozek, and Tadeusz Kantor; in Italy Dino Buzzati; and in Germany, Peter Weiss, Wolfgang Hildesheimer, and Gunter Grass. In India, both Mohit Chattopadhyay and Mahesh Elkunchwar have also been labeled Absurdists. Other international Absurdist playwrights include: Tawfiq el-Hakim from Egypt; Hanoch Levin from Israel; Miquel Mihura from Spain and former Czech President Vaclav Havel and other from the Czech Repulic and Slovakia. Formal Experimentation: As an experimental form of theatre, many theatre of the Absurd playwrights employ techniques borrowed from earlier innovaters, Writer 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 Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz; the Russians Daniil Kharms, Nikolai Erdman, and others; and the dream plays' of August Strindberg.

One commonly cited precursor is Luigi Pirendello, especially 'Sir characters in search of an Author'. Pirendello was a highly regarded theatrical experimentalist who wanted to bring down the fourth wall presupposed by the realism of playwrights such as Hensik Ibsen. According to W.B. Worthen, 'Six characters in and other Pirendello plays use "Metatheatre - roleplaying, plays-within-plays, and a flexible sense of the limits of stage and illusion - to examine a highly- theatricalized vision of identity.

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