The STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABEŞ-BOLYAI issue article summary

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Pirandello and the 20th century Drama. The art of the early 20th century substituted the image of the ideal order with the image of fragmentation, of a uniform whole broken into billions of pieces, an image reflecting the scientific theory of relativity. Pirandello’s theatre breaks away from tradition and opens the door to new methodologies and techniques. He wants to prove through his works that only Art can be more real than reality itself. The relation between the self and the unconscious, between the self and the outside world is reflected exclusively through the relation between life and art. Pirandello’s influence can be recognized in the art of acting, as various acting schools have embraced in their methodology elements of Pirandello’s philosophic discourse on theatre. The technique of play within play, or theatre within theatre, the theme of improvisation questioned by Pirandello became fertile sources of topics for contemporary playwrights. The representatives of the theatre of the absurd have as well adopted Pirandellian themes. Pirandello’s contribution to the development of the theatre phenomenon has been underlined by several literary critics. Martin Esslin states that Pirandello is in the very lead in revolutionizing man’s attitude towards the world. Further from the dramatic literature, Pirandello has influenced Aesthetics and Philosophy. His theory of form became the core of the contemporary anti-romantic and anti-idealistic theory in Aesthetics. Furthermore, it is necessary to mention Pirandello’s contribution to psychodrama. The relation Pirandello-psychodrama is a tight one, with reciprocal influences.

Keywords: Pirandello, theatre, acting, form, psychodrama