XIV Congreso Internacional de Ciencias Sociales Interdisciplinares

Abstract

20th-century Romanian-French playwright Eugène Ionesco was a prominent figure of French avant-garde theatre and a pioneer of Theatre of the Absurd (a post-World War II style that abandons traditional theatre structures while exploring absurdism and surrealism). Ionesco’s 1952 one-act play “The Chairs” – labeled a “Tragic Farce” by the playwright – exemplifies the philosophical concepts typical of absurdist theatre. Yet beyond its inherent representation of the standard seed rooted within most works of absurdist writers (humanity’s perceived unsuccessful attempts at finding meaning in life), “The Chairs” presents provocative dualities that suggest profound symbolisms of the absurdist movement itself and its situated evolution among the cultural aftermath of World War II. This presentation will explore Ionesco’s “The Chairs” as a significant model of the Theatre of the Absurd movement and interpret its layered political symbolism of societal isolation, blind allegiance, propaganda-fueled war, and dangerous dictatorship.