Handke, Peter 1942–

Handke is an Austrian-born novelist, playwright, poet, and essayist writing in German. He is considered a major innovator in contemporary theater for his experiments with language. One of Handke's major themes is the inadequacy of language as a means of communication. This is perhaps best illustrated in his "Sprechstücke," or "speak-ins," Handke's own theatrical creation. Lacking the structure of traditional drama, these plays are basically language exercises in which the actors are speakers rather than characters. Instead of dialogue the speakers engage in cliché-ridden, fragmented monologues, thus conveying to the audience the way language impedes true expression. (See also CLC, Vols. 5, 8, and Contemporary Authors, Vols. 77-80.)