absurdist play

An absurdist play presents human existence as fundamentally meaningless or irrational, rejecting conventional plot, character development, and logical dialogue.

Associated with mid-20th-century dramatists like Beckett and Ionesco, these works feature circular conversations, purposeless action, and characters trapped in inexplicable situations: Waiting for Godot is the quintessential absurdist play.

The form doesn't argue that life is meaningless—it dramatizes the feeling directly.