Presentation of the Theatrical Surrealism: Alfred Jarry’s “Ubu-King, or the Polishers” (1896)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to determine the benchmark of the vanguard theatrical movement, which European art criticism reasonably recognized the “Ubu-king, or the Polishers” after Alfred Jarry’s tragifarce, performed in Paris, in the “L’Oeuvre” theatre, managed by Orillien-Marie Lunier-Poe (1896). This performance prompted the playwriter to create a new theatrical theory, where the European stage traditional attributes, such as a scenic space, dramatic action organization and acting, have been rethought. Jarry outlined his theory in several articles (“Ubu-king program”, “About the inexpediency of the theatrical in the theatre”, “Answer on the question about the dramatic art”, etc.) and a book “Gestes et Opinions du Docteur Faustroll, Pataphysicien” (“Gestures and Opinions of Doctor Faustroll, Pataphysician”) (1898, pub. 1911). At the same time in the field of the French culture itself this performance presented the surrealism – one of the powered (in the aesthetic-&-artistic sense) historic avant-garde branches. “Ubu-king or the Polishers” stylistic successor was Guillaume Apollinaire’s “Tiresias Nipples”, in 1917 showed by one of the surrealistic pioneers Pierre Albert-Biraud in the Paris stage laboratory “Art and Liberty”. The research methodology combines elements of the historical-reconstructive and the structural-analytic methods. The scientific novelty of the article means the introduction into the scientific use of the Ukrainian theatre researching “one of the most extraordinary French down poet’s” (Esslin) a little explored creativity and formation of the clearer understanding of the theatrical surrealism rising. Conclusions. Ukrainian theatre studies yet haven’t filled the gap regarding the formation of the historical avant-garde culture. Meanwhile, it’s an important part of the general cultural process; therefore its study is necessary for the more objective understanding and more resultative using of the achievements of the contemporary Ukrainian stage.

Keywords

• Alfred Jarry
• Orillien-Marie Lunier-Poe
• symbolism
• surrealism
• tragifarce
• guignol aesthetics