Absurd Plays

[bschneid76]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 3:42pm

I am in search of interesting Absurdist plays that are not of the usual norm: Waiting for Godot, 6 characters in search of an author, etc. If anyone can tell me a few titles and authors that would be helpful! Thank you!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 3:53pm

Off the top of my head, look at plays by Albee (Tiny Alice, Three Tall Women, The Play About the Baby, The Goat et al), Caryl Churchill (Cloud Nine, Far Away, A Number et al), Guare (The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees), and Durang (Marriage of Bette and Boo, Betty's Summer's Vacation, most of his others).

[bschneid76]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 3:55pm

Thank you Margo!!! I love Christopher Durang's work! I did two of his short plays my first year of college. I might have to look into his works again as he's so great!!!

[C is for Company]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 3:57pm

Eugene Ionesco has written some really good ones. In my french class we read Les Chaises and it was actually pretty brilliant to me. I was impressed because that was really my first time ever hearing about the theater of the absurd and it was good reading.

Updated On: 7/17/06 at 03:57 PM

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 4:00pm

I really liked Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author! Also Stephen Gregg's SPAR.
Updated On: 7/17/06 at 04:00 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 4:02pm

I'd also add Nicky Silver (Food Chain, Pterodactyls, Raised in Captivity), and the unsung, but interesting David Hirson (La Bete, Wrong Mountain).

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 4:02pm

Six Characters... really creeped me out for some reason. At first, I was so confused. Then when you understand it, it's just crazy. It's fantastic. But so, so crazy. I love it. :)

[bschneid76]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 4:07pm

I saw a film version (probably the Broadway Archive Collection) of Six Characters and was mesmorized by it. It was fun to watch!

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 4:17pm

The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? was the first thing that came to mind. It's absolutely PHENOMENAL.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 4:34pm

Anyone Can Whistle - Sondheim
Elephant - Ionesco

[zzannahk]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 5:13pm

Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad by Arthur Kopit

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 5:19pm

I <3 me some Ionesco. Go for "The Bald Soprano", and there's one more I love I can't recall...maybe someone here knows, I just recall a character whom I think was named Jack who kept repeating "I like potatoes!" near the end. But they're both great.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 5:55pm

I love Oh, Dad, Poor Dad! The play is hilarious and the movie (while quite terrible has it's fun spots. Got to love Roz Russell!!!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 6:04pm

Absurd Person Singular? Does that count? Apparently the original Broadway production was excellent. Though the recent MTC revival was dreadful.

[Blair]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 6:44pm

Interview by Jean Claude van Italie. It's the absolute strangest thing I've ever seen, but I love every second of it. It's a one act, that I think is part of America Hurrah.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 7:28pm

Also plays by Genet (The Blacks, The Balcony), Pinter (several), Alfred Jarry (Ubu Roi), and early Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, The Real Inspector Hound, Dog's Hamlet Cahoot's Macbeth)

Updated On: 7/17/06 at 07:28 PM

[sally1112]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 7:33pm

I love the works of Durang.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 7:46pm

I love LES CHAISES (The Chairs.) I think it's a remarkable play.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 8:00pm

For a minute I thought you referring to such gems as "Once Upon a Playground" and about half of Samuel French's catalogue. They're just absurdly written.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 9:01pm

My high school did the "The Chairs" for a competition and I have to say it was brillant. A lot of people didn't understand it or get it, but I think they weren't use to that style of theater. We played it to where the messenger at the end is the "angel of death" and we had this big angel on stilts (it sounds weird on paper, but it was beautiful) and the angel came to take them to heaven in a sense. It's a great play. Check out his other works.

Also, there's another play called "The Park Bench" that is a great read. I'm not sure of who the author is, but if it's well done, it's a great play. Absurd theater is kind of boring on paper, but it's brillant to watch.

BDrischBDemented: I think you're referring to "The Future is In Eggs" where the character lays eggs or "Jack or the Submission" My high school (my teacher was a HUGE absurdist theater fan, esp Ionesco) combined the two and made them into one play. not sure how it was done.

Also, "The Adding Machine" and "Machinal" are great short plays. Look them up, not sure about the authors, though I think "Machinal" is written by someone named Sophie? Or something like that.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 9:08pm

Machinal is by Sophie Treadwell and The Adding Machine is by Elmer Rice

[stage_door76]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 9:12pm

I love Friedrich Durrenmatt's 'The Visit' (translated by Patrick Bowles i think).

Although whether or not it suits your search I'm not 100% sure. It's certainly bizarre...and absurd

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 9:20pm

Thanks Margo. Figured someone would know.

[OOTI2004]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 10:14pm

Most of the ones I know have already been listed, but theres The American Dream by Albee. I love this play, but I noticed it gets very mixed reactions. Some people find it amusing while others find it to be a bore.

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 7/17/06 at 11:25pm

Durang's 'dentity Crisis is marvelous.