Fernando Arrabal Criticism
Fernando Arrabal, a French playwright originally from Morocco, is a prominent figure in the Theatre of the Absurd. His works, known for their surreal and symbolic nature, often critique political, theological, and psychological constraints on individual freedom. Arrabal's plays, such as The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria, blend absurdist elements with philosophical and existential themes, reflecting his experiences under dictatorship and his interest in the absurdity of human existence. As noted by Jacques Guicharnaud, his visionary style and symbolic narratives offer a critique of societal injustices but sometimes lose coherence. Janet Winecoff Díaz highlights Arrabal's focus on themes like memory and authority, while Ruby Cohn emphasizes his use of absurdism to explore anti-war satire and complex human emotions. Gloria Feman Orenstein discusses his Panic Theater, a synthesis of dream and reality influenced by surrealists like Dali and Artaud. Arrabal's impact extends to film, where, as John J. Michalczyk points out, works like L'Arbre de Guernica use surrealism to critique fascism and societal norms. His innovative approach has earned him recognition, including the Grand Prix du Théâtre.
Contents
- Arrabal, Fernando (Vol. 2)
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Arrabal, Fernando (Vol. 18)
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Forbidden Games: Arrabal
(summary)
In the following essay, Jacques Guicharnaud explores Fernando Arrabal's unique blend of surrealism, political commentary, and childlike innocence, suggesting that while Arrabal's visionary tableaux and symbolic characters offer a compelling critique of societal and divine injustices, they occasionally become incoherent, losing dramatic tension amidst avant-garde and repetitive elements.
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Theater and Theories of Fernando Arrabal
(summary)
In the following essay, Janet Winecoff Díaz argues that Fernando Arrabal's work is deeply rooted in philosophical and existential themes, characterized by a focus on absurdity, memory, and the limits of human understanding, while also being influenced by his experiences under a dictatorship and exploring motifs like guilt, authority, and the absurd nature of human existence.
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Ruby Cohn
(summary)
In the following essay, Ruby Cohn analyzes Fernando Arrabal's plays, emphasizing their use of childish dialogue to present cruelty and tenderness, and highlighting how Arrabal explores themes of anti-war satire and the complexities of love through absurdist and ritualistic techniques in works such as The Coronation and The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria.
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A Surrealist Theatrical Tractate: Fernando Arrabal
(summary)
In the following essay, Gloria Feman Orenstein examines how Fernando Arrabal synthesized influences from Dali, Artaud, and Breton to create the Panic Theater, where confusion, cruelty, and the marvelous converge to transform reality and initiate a surrealist vision, thereby redefining theatrical experience and human perception through a synthesis of dream and reality.
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Film: 'L'Arbre de Guernica'
(summary)
In the following essay, John J. Michalczyk argues that Fernando Arrabal's film L'Arbre de Guernica employs surrealist techniques to critique fascism, religion, and societal norms, blending shocking imagery with political commentary to advocate for absolute freedom and the revolutionary potential of neo-surrealism.
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Forbidden Games: Arrabal
(summary)
- Arrabal, Fernando (Vol. 9)