In his 1961 book The Theatre of the Absurd, Martin Esslin described a trend exemplified by the works of Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, and Harold Pinter, among others. These plays flouted realist theatrical conventions, focusing instead on characters who were waiting for something to happen, or realizing the inadequacy of language for conveying ideas and emotions. Absurdism revels in nonsense and circular logic; more accessible examples might include Joseph Heller’s novel Catch-22 or Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” sketch. Absurdist theatre also plays with power dynamics, malfunctioning technology, and minimalism. In envisioning a “Carnival of the Absurd,” I wanted to celebrate the optimistic side of Existentialist philosophy. In search of an absurdist hero, Albert Camus claimed Sisyphus, doomed to roll a rock uphill for all eternity, only to watch it roll down again each time he reached the summit. Thinking of Sisyphus walking back down the hill to start again, Camus encourages us to “imagine Sisyphus happy.” Every moment of failure is an opportunity to begin again. As Beckett wrote, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
With Beckett, Camus, Ionesco, and Pinter as our guides, students new to the Department of Theatre created a collection of twenty-four short absurdist plays and performances. The plays included ruminations on time, health, language, logic, and politics. Students experimented with form, including an absurdist opera interlude and absurdist tap dance. Early on, the students gravitated toward an idea of “breaking the cycle” rather than simply observing cyclical structures of absurdism. While many of these short pieces focused on loneliness and isolation, they were united in expressing a desire for human connection.
[Photo Credit: Rainie Jiang]
Order of Scenes:
1. En Garde by Jonas Higbee, directed by Sam Meade
Cashier: Eric Balamucki; Thomas: Leah Bauer; Rupert: Briana Beeman
2. What to Have for Lunch by Ketura Bradford, directed by Eli Drake
Performers: Ejiro Enajero, Jonas Higbee
3. Gnostic by Jonas Higbee, directed by Briana Beeman
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John: Michaella Barton, Tino Gilmore, Eric Balamucki, Michael Adams
4. The Absurd Airport by Rachid Chatti, directed by Dan Smith
Performers: Jonas Higbee and Eli Drake
5. Middle School Minds, written and directed by Heather Mahoney and Mack Marshall
Kaitlyn and Jadyn: Heather Mahoney and Mack Marshall; Eric: Eric Balamucki; Voices: Ejiro Enajero, Tino Gilmore, Morgan Pohl, Michala Peltz
6. I Am Not Who I Think I Am by Rachel Aho, directed by Josiah Masvero
Performers: Tino Gilmore, Michala Peltz, Michaella Barton, Ceili Widmann
7. Blood by Taylor McPhail, directed by Dan Smith
Doctor and Patient: Briana Beeman and Mykenzie Miller
8. Tap Number choreographed by Shelby Eppich
Dancers: Eric Balamucki, Brandon Barker, Michaella Barton, Heather Mahoney, Mack Marshall, Taylor McPhail, Mykenzie Miller
9. She and Someone Else by Josiah Masvero, directed by Briana Beeman
Performers: Mack Marshall and Morgan Pohl
10. Grisaille, written and directed by Eli Drake
Grisaille: Mack Marshall
Passers-by: Ejiro Enajero, Tino Gilmore, Heather Mahoney, Taylor McPhail, Ceili Widmann
11. This is Not A Dance by Ceili Widmann, directed by Shelby Eppich
Performers: Ceili Widmann, Michael Adams
12. Debate of the Absurd by Briana Beeman
Performers: Ejiro Enajero, Heather Mahoney, Morgan Pohl
13. Personality Disorder by Leah Bauer, directed by Briana Beeman
Performers: Mack Marshall and Michala Peltz
14. A Lesson in Language, written and directed by Briana Beeman
Performers: Ejiro Enajero, Michala Peltz, Taylor McPhail, Leah Bauer, Jonas Higbee, Mack Marshall, Eric Balamucki, Mykenzie Miller, Michael Adams
15. I Don’t Know, I’m Not Sure, written and directed by Michala Pelz
Performers: Eli Drake and Ejiro Enajero
16. Blind Leading the Blind, written and directed by Leah Bauer
Performers: Michael Adama, Michaella Barton, Wade Kogler, Tino Gilmore
17. Logic Game 1, written and directed by Dan Smith
Performers: Eric Balamucki, Morgan Pohl, Jonas Higbee, Mykenzie Miller, Taylor McPhail
18. Opera Interlude by Taylor McPhail, directed by Taylor McPhail and Eli Drake
Performers: Taylor McPhail, Mykenzie Miller, Mack Marshall, Eli Drake, Heather Mahoney, Briana Beeman
19. Truth/Lies by the Absurdist Collective, directed by Sam Meade
20. Too Late by Taylor McPhail, directed by Mykenzie Miller
Performers: Heather Mahoney, Morgan Pohl
21. Seven Centuries of Clown Knowledge by Eric Balamucki, directed by Eli Drake
Performers: Eli Drake, Mykenzie Miller, Michael Adams
22. Ashes, written and directed by Wade Kogler
Pistol, Thumb, Rose, Goat: Morgan Pohl, Michala Peltz, Wade Kogler, Jonas Higbee
23. L’Hôpital de l’Absurde by Eric Balamucki
Performers: Morgan Pohl, Heather Mahoney, Leah Bauer
24. The Franks by Eric Balamucki, directed by Sam Meade
Franks: Heather Mahoney, Eli Drake, Ejiro Enajero, Ceilie Widmann, Michala Peltz and Company