The Theater of Protest and Paradox
Developments in the Avant Garde Drama
Ever since 1950, when Eugene Ionesco's first play "The Bald Soprano" was produced, the theater has been vibrant with the excitement of a new movement of artistic creation. At first glance the plays written in French, English, and German since the end of the Second World War are entirely dissimilar. It is the purpose of this book to explain the meanings of these plays, set them in their proper place in the history of dramatic literature, and point out their basic similarities. These similarities consist of a common theme (protest) and a common technique (paradox).