Eugène Ionesco (1909-1994) was the leading exponent along with Samuel Beckett of the Theatre of the Absurd in 1950s France. His plays, often given provocative subtitles such as
anti-pièce[anti-play] or
farce tragique[tragic farce], call into question many of the assumptions and expectations of conventional playwrights and their audiences, while remaining intensely dramatic and spectacular, often combining wit, inventive verbal fantasy and serious allegorical implications. His humour often recalls Surrealism, celebrating the irrational, and reflecting the nightmarish quality of his scenarios and of his characters' obsessions.
Romanian by birth, with a French mother, Ionesco was initially educated in France, although this process was interrupted by World War I and the divorce of his
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Citation: Forman, Edward. "Eugène Ionesco". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 November 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5784, accessed 21 November 2024.]
