Date of Death: December 22, 1989
Birth Place: Foxrock, County Dublin, IRELAND
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Samuel Beckett is widely regarded as one of the most influential playwrights of the 20th century. Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1906, Beckett attended Trinity College Dublin and later taught at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. He wrote his first novel, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, in 1932, but it was never published during his lifetime.
Beckett's first major play, Waiting for Godot, premiered in Paris in 1953 and is now considered a seminal work of the Theatre of the Absurd. The play's two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for the eponymous Godot, who never arrives. The play's themes of existentialism, meaninglessness, and the human condition struck a chord with audiences and critics alike. Waiting for Godot has since been performed countless times around the world and has been translated into over 20 languages.
Beckett's other major plays include Endgame (1957), Krapp's Last Tape (1958), and Happy Days (1961). These works continue to be studied and performed today, and have cemented Beckett's reputation as a master of modernist drama.
In addition to his plays, Beckett also wrote a number of novels, including Molloy (1951), Malone Dies (1951), and The Unnamable (1953). These works are known for their experimental style, complex themes, and exploration of the limits of language.
Beckett was also a prolific writer of poetry, essays, and short stories. His work often dealt with themes of alienation, suffering, and the search for meaning in a world that seems to offer none. Beckett's writing is marked by its spare, minimalist style, which he developed in response to what he saw as the excesses of modern literature.
Beckett's influence on the arts cannot be overstated. His work has inspired countless writers, artists, and filmmakers, and his ideas about the nature of existence and the human condition continue to resonate with audiences today.
Despite his success as a writer, Beckett was notoriously private and reclusive. He rarely gave interviews and shunned publicity. He spent the last years of his life in a nursing home in Paris, where he died in 1989 at the age of 83.
Beckett's most recent work is his posthumously published novella, Echo's Bones, which was released in 2014. The work was originally intended to be the final chapter of his novel, Murphy, but was cut by his publisher at the time. The novella tells the story of a man who is haunted by the ghost of his dead wife, and explores themes of memory, loss, and the nature of reality.
Samuel BeckettEndgame
Samuel Beckett, Ohio Impromptu
Samuel Beckett, What Where
Samuel Beckett, Catastrophe
Samuel BeckettPocket
Samuel Beckett, Not I
Samuel Beckett Play
Samuel Beckett, Happy Days
Samuel Beckett, Krapp's Last Tape
Samuel Beckett, Endgame
Samuel BeckettWaiting for Godot
Samuel Beckett has written 23 shows including Embers (Playwright), Play/ The Lover (Playwright), Krapp's Last Tape/ The Zoo Story (Playwright), Happy Days (Playwright), Oh! Calcutta! (Material), Jack MacGowran in the Works of Samuel Beckett (Material), Happy Days/ Act Without Words 1 (Playwright), Krapp's Last Tape/ Not I (Playwright), Mercier & Camier (Source Material), Play and Other Plays (Playwright), Samuel Beckett's Ohio Impromptu, Catastrophe, What Where (Playwright), Rockaby (Playwright), Endgame (Playwright), All Strange Away (Playwright), I'll Go On (Source Material), Happy Days (Playwright), Texts for Nothing (Playwright), Krapp's Last Tape (Playwright), Beckett/Albee (Playwright), Beckett Shorts (Playwright), Waiting for Godot (Playwright), All That Fall (Playwright), Endgame (Playwright).
Best Revival (Olivier Awards) for Endgame , Special Citation (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for , Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Ohio Impromptu , Playwriting (Obie Awards) for What Where , Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Catastrophe , Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Pocket , Best Foreign Play (Obie Awards) for Not I , Best Play (Obie Awards) for Play , Best Foreign Play (Obie Awards) for Happy Days , Distinguished Play (Obie Awards) for Krapp's Last Tape Best Foreign Play (Obie Awards) for Endgame and Most Controversial Play (Evening Standard Awards) for Waiting for Godot .
Special Citation (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for , Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Ohio Impromptu, Playwriting (Obie Awards) for What Where, Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Catastrophe, Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Pocket, Best Foreign Play (Obie Awards) for Not I, Best Play (Obie Awards) for Play, Best Foreign Play (Obie Awards) for Happy Days, Distinguished Play (Obie Awards) for Krapp's Last Tape Best Foreign Play (Obie Awards) for Endgameand Most Controversial Play (Evening Standard Awards) for Waiting for Godot.
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