About
Fernando Arrabal was born in Melilla in 1932. His father, a Republican officer, was sentenced to death and disappeared during the Spanish Civil War. After studying law in Madrid, he settled in Paris in 1955. Co-founder of the Panic Movement in 1963, he is associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. His work, marked by violence and provocation, explores childhood traumas and Franco's dictatorship. He has written about a hundred plays, novels, poems, and essays, and directed several films. He has received numerous awards, including the Nadal Prize and the Grand Prize for Theater from the Académie française.
* 1932-08-11
Major works
- Pique-nique en campagne (1959)play
- Baal Babylone (1959)novel
- Le Cimetière des voitures (1966)play
- L'Architecte et l'empereur d'Assyrie (1967)play
- Viva la Muerte (1970)film
Key milestones
- 1963Co-founded the Panic Movement with Alejandro Jodorowsky and Roland Topor.
- 1967Imprisoned in Francoist Spain, an experience that inspired his play And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers.
- 1969Received the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in Spain.
Themes
violencechildhood traumadictatorship and oppressionritual and ceremonyprovocation
Sources: britannica.com · nyork.cervantes.es