Eugène Ionesco (1909-1994) was the leading exponent along with Samuel Beckett of the Theatre of the Absurd in 1950s France. His plays, often given provocative subtitles such as anti-pièce [anti-play] or farce tragique [tragic farce], call into question many of the assumptions and expectations of conventional playwrights and their audiences, while remaining intensely dramatic and spectacular, often combining wit, inventive verbal fantasy and serious allegorical implications. His humour often recalls Surrealism, celebrating the irrational, and reflecting the nightmarish quality of his scenarios and of his characters' obsessions.
Romanian by birth, with a French …
1726 words
Citation: Forman, Edward. "Eugène Ionesco". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 November 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5784, accessed 23 November 2024.]
