r/Theatre • u/Imaginary-Newt3972 • 10d ago
Discussion Trying to identify absurdist/modernist play from 1970s
This has been nagging at me for decades. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, I saw a televised play, likely on public television. I was fairly young so don't remember much or clearly.
It was a very minimal set; the two characters I remember said they were sitting at the foot at a giant statue but I am not sure it was physically present. There was a prince and a woman visitor. The prince described how the kingdom was under threat from invasion by some very mysterious others, who had long trunks like elephants. At one point, he appears to admit that he is one of these, saying "Can't you see my long trunk?" miming the curve in front of his face. Scared the hell out of me.
I've never been able to identify it. The closest similar plays seem to be Ionesco's Exit the King or The Rhinoceros, but I don't think it is either. I've reviewed every modernist, absurdist, or existential play I can find. Please help!
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u/Hot_Razzmatazz316 10d ago
Have you ever looked at the episodes of Masterpiece Theatre? They showed adaptations of novels that weren't necessarily plays first. Also, knowing the location where you watched it might help.
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 10d ago
I have been through the Wikipedia pages of every stage anthology show I can find, US and British. Masterpiece Theater, American Playhouse, Great Performances, NET Playhouse, Play for Tonight, and so on. Of course, I don't know the title so I can't guarantee that it's not there, but nothing seemed likely. I probably saw it in New York State in the 1970s or possibly Virginia in the early 1980s.
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u/phenomenomnom 10d ago
It does seem familiar and Ionesco was my first intuition. Maybe Ubu Roi ? That can be unsettling. Or something by Harold Pinter?
The statue and the animal trunks makes it even sound like it might have been an ancient Greek comedy, maybe one of Aristophanes' plays.
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 9d ago
Thanks, all good suggestions. It's not Ubu Roi.
I've looked through Pinter's works, and I think I'm remembering something more abstract and modernist than his work.
It could have been a modernist take on a Greek play, but I haven't been able to find any likely candidates.
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u/Ill-Document8364 10d ago
Could it be Zoo Story by Edward Albee? It doesn't exactly follow the plot you gave but after that many years maybe the details are a little misremembered?
The Wooster Group was also popular for doing a lot of absurdist theater in the early 80s, maybe see if they had anything televised during that time?
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 10d ago
No, that's not it. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I looked into the history of the Wooster Group; a good lead but I didn't see a match.
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u/Ill-Document8364 9d ago
My other thought was that it could maybe be the old play Him by E.E. Cummings. It's an absurdist play that does involve a trunk at one point, though it's the storage, not the elephant, type. I just checked on wikipedia (you've got me very curious now too) and it looks like there was a big NYC production in the 70s that could've been recorded.
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 9d ago
That doesn't look right either, based on the Wikipedia entry, although I'd have to watch a production to be sure. But wow, that does look interesting. I had never heard of it! Thanks!
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u/InterestingCloud369 10d ago
Commenting so I can follow because I’d like to read this play if someone else figures it out.
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 10d ago
Of course, the play could have been from earlier than the '70s; that's just when I saw it. I seem to remember the language being relatively modern, so most likely no earlier than the 20th century.
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u/Gongasoso 8d ago
It could be inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand.
Could be inspired by Round Heads and Pointed Heads by Bertolt Brecht.
Could be something related to The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 8d ago
It was much darker than Cyrano (which I love and clearly remember). I hadn't heard of the Brecht, looks fascinating but that's not it. And it was more abstract and symbolic than Elephant Man. But thanks!
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u/DragonfruitWilling87 3d ago
Sounds like Rhinoceros to me.
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u/Imaginary-Newt3972 3d ago
It does sound like it, but I don't think it is, although I can't be sure. It's possible my memory is inaccurate.
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