Final answer:
The Theatre of the Absurd is characterized by plays that often have a circular structure and aim to showcase the futility and stagnation of the human condition through unconventional storylines and minimalist settings, as seen in works by Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Theatre of the Absurd emerged after World War II, particularly in Europe, as playwrights grappled with the war's devastating aftermath. This genre of plays is noted for its unconventional structure, often lacking a traditional storyline with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Instead, these plays tend to have a circular structure, emphasizing the stagnation of the human condition and the futility of man's existence.
Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco are two of the most influential playwrights associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. Beckett's Endgame, for example, showcases traits of this theater style with its minimalist setting and dialogue that appears bereft of meaning, underlining a bleak, nihilistic worldview. The purpose of these plays was to disrupt audience complacency and confront them with the existential puzzles of the human condition.
In American theatre, Edward Albee is considered closest in style to the Theatre of the Absurd. His works, like Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Zoo Story, navigate through a reality that is often specific to the surreal world of the play. These plays challenge the audience to grapple with the absurdity of life and the superficiality of communication in a post-war world where traditional means of understanding have been undercut by widespread destruction and loss.