Editing Absurdist fiction (section)

==Theatre of the Absurd==
{{Main articles|Theatre of the Absurd}}
The Theatre of the Absurd is termed as a post-[[World War I|World War One]] designation for absurdist fiction plays, specifically those written by primarily [[Europe]]an playwrights in the late twentieth century, also as one for the style of theatre which has evolved from their work. [[Martin Esslin]], a literary critic, coined the term "Theatre of the Absurd" in his 1960 essay ''Theatre of the Absurd''. Esslin related these selected plays based on the broad theme of the [[Absurdism|absurd]], similar to the way [[Albert Camus|Camus]] used the term in his 1942 essay ''[[The Myth of Sisyphus]]''. The ideology of the Theatre of the Absurd is drawn from [[existentialism]] and expresses the result of [[Human condition|human existence]] becoming deprived of meaning or purpose and the result of all [[communication]] thus breaking down. Logical construction and argument within absurdist theatre gave way to characteristics of irrational and illogical speech and the ultimate conclusion of silence. The Theatre of the Absurd involves a fascination with [[absurdity]] in a range of forms; the [[Existentialism|existential]], [[Philosophy|philosophical]], [[emotion]]al and [[Dramaturgy (sociology)|dramaturgical]]. The Theatre of the Absurd as a dramatic form inherently pushes theatre to the extreme, while posing questions about what both [[reality]] and [[Derealization|unreality]] truly look like.<ref name="Dickson, A." /> [[Martin Esslin]] named the four defining playwrights of the Theatre of the Absurd movement as [[Samuel Beckett]], [[Arthur Adamov]], [[Eugène Ionesco]], and [[Jean Genet]].<ref>Esslin, Martin (1961). The Theatre of the Absurd. OCLC 329986</ref> In later editions of his essay he included a fifth playwright, [[Harold Pinter]]. Other writers that are also associated with this movement by Esslin and other critics are [[Tom Stoppard]], [[Friedrich Dürrenmatt]], [[Fernando Arrabal]], [[Edward Albee]], [[Boris Vian]], and [[Jean Tardieu]].

===Characteristics===
The Theatre of the Absurd subverts conventional [[Theatre|theatrical]] form audiences have come to expect when viewing a play. Movement of the plot is [[arbitrary]]; characters of absurdist theatre are mostly unfamiliar and strangely motivated, scenery is often unrecognizable and sometimes unchanging or desolate, and dialogue appears to be nonsense. To absurdist playwrights, [[wikt:chaos|chaos]] and [[irrationality]] represent reality better than rationality and order. Plays can be both tragic and comic in nature, characteristic of the tragicomedy genre in theatre.

===Examples===
* Alliteration
* Repetition
* Lists
* Allusion
* Dramatic devices
* Neologism 
* Convolution
* Stream of consciousness
* Irony
* Satire

=== Theatre of the Absurd plays ===
Eugène Ionesco's ''The Bald Soprano'' (1950) is a memorable absurdist theatre play. Samuel Beckett's ''Waiting for Godot'' (1953) is an absurdist theatre play with two acts using dramatic techniques. Other examples include Jean-Paul Sartre's play ''No Exit'' (1944), Max Frisch's play ''The Firebugs'' (1953) and Ezio D'Errico's play ''The Anthill and Time of the Locusts'' (1954). Thornton Wilder's ''The Long Christmas Dinner'' (1931) and Jean Tardieu's ''Underground Lovers'' (1934) are earlier examples.

=== Techniques and devices examples ===
Romanian-French playwright [[Eugène Ionesco]]'s ''[[The Bald Soprano]]'' (1950) is a dominating play central to the [[Theatre of the Absurd]], its "dreamlike symphony of nonsensical speech and disjointed associations expose how hopeless human [[communication]] is".<ref>Santilli, P., (2020). Absurdity Sings In Ionesco's 'The Bald Soprano'. San Diego Union-Tribune.</ref> The "nonsensical speech" and "disjointed associations" are key elements of the Theatre of the Absurd. Most of the [[dialogue]] in Ionesco's play has little meaning and frequently there is outright gibberish in the actors' speeches. The [[satire]] and nonsensical discourse present throughout Ionesco's text serves his purpose in presenting how nonsensical mundane life can be. Ionesco's engagement with [[existentialism]] is also characteristic of absurdist theatre, and distinct in the utilisation of the seemingly ridiculous [[English language in England|English language]] and society's unwillingness to communicate with each other.<ref>Ashlee, L. (2018). The Bald Soprano and Absurdism | ACT I, Inc.</ref> Ionesco's ''[[The Bald Soprano]]'' encompasses mankind's inability to engage in communication in a purposeless world, reiterating the influence of [[Existentialism]] on Absurdist Fiction and how this presents in texts within the [[Theatre of the Absurd]] literary genre.

[[Samuel Beckett]]'s ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'' (1953), an originally French text, is an absurdist theatre [[drama]] that is described as one of the most important plays of the 20th century<ref>Coughlan, S. (2013). Still waiting for Godot. BBC News Education.</ref> despite its early reception. The play was first performed on January 5, 1953, at Theatre de babylone in Paris. The reception of the play in the 1950s can be interpreted by critics reviews. Literary critic [[Vivian Mercier|Vivian Mercer]] claimed that the play was "a play in which nothing happens, twice", alluding to the two acts that take a cyclical form.<ref>Smythe, J. (2020). WAITING FOR GODOT - Riddled with vivid snapshots of the human condition. Theatreview.</ref> [[Alfonso Sastre]], another literary critic reviewing Beckett's text, described the play as "a death certificate for hope"; he continues, "what is so fascinating about waiting for Godot; [is] that nothing happens. It is a lucid testimony of nothingness."<ref>Pronko, L. (1962). Avant-garde: the experimental theater in France. Berkeley: University of California Press.</ref> Beckett's desolate universe in his play is rendered by Absurdist techniques; an unchanging landscape, characters subjected to random and whimsical acts of violence with cyclical discourse. Beckett captures the sense of perpetual anticipation for meaning in humanity in the portrayal of the relationship between 'Gogo' and 'Didi', a strong interdependence mixed with irritability. The [[tragicomedy]] element to Beckett's absurdist fiction play adds a comic futility that can be compared to [[slapstick]] comedy and cartoon characters such as the characters Tom and Jerry. The relationship between the two characters in ''Waiting for Godot'' (Vladimir and Estragon) is whimsical, interdependent yet irritable. Their nature, dialogue and interactions are reminiscent of familiar comical duos such as [[Laurel and Hardy]] and [[Tom and Jerry]].<ref>Brantley, B. (2018). Review: A ‘Waiting for Godot’ as Comically Futile as a Looney Tune. The New York Times.</ref>