Epic Theatre and Absurdism could not be further apart. Epic Theatre was constructed
in order to teach audiences morality, while Absurdism asserts that the world is
deprived of morality and meaning. The contrast between styles can be seen by
comparing the work of Bertolt Brecht to Samuel Beckett, figureheads of these two
movements. Although these styles seem to originate from two separate schools of
thought, they actually exist under the umbrella of modernism, and their connection is
exemplified by the works of Arthur Adamov, who used Brechtian theory for his
absurdist plays. Most notably, Adamov borrowed Brecht’s alienation effect. In his plays
Professor Taranne, Paolo Paoli, and Ping Pong, Adamov adapted Brecht’s alienation
effect in order to allow the audience to remove themselves from the exaggerated,
absurd plot of the play. Instead of showing morality, this effect allows the plays to be
more humorous than if an audience was to become invested in the onstage plight.
