The Sandbox

Edward Albee's one act about the passage from life to death of an American grandmother illustrates several of what I believe to be aspects of its genre.

The characters are slightly illogical, though grounded in Albee's observations about human behavior. They portray these observations in a very simplistic way -- the father is a wimp, the mother is a bitch and Grandma's just crazy. Or, so they appear. Through their somewhat illogical dialogue, snippets of the truths of these characters shine through.

Setting is also a key element in absurdist theatre. Using a humorously minimal set, Albee creates a world based on reality but more resembling that of dreams. The use of a sandbox as a beach as the grandmother's final resting place in itself sparks humor, questions and discomfort.

Paradox and the breaking of the fourth wall operate heavily in this play as well, most notably in the case of the "Angel of Death." The Angel of Death is a strapping young lad doing calisthenics on the beach - his head as empty as it is blond. It is ironic that the great equivocator is portrayed in such a vapid and ordinary way. Also, Albee breaks the fourth wall in the final dialogue between the Angel and the grandmother when he makes references to the boy simply being an actor playing a role, asking if he'd done his lines correctly.

The viewer is left with only a vague sense of understanding of the events that were captured in the play and an overwhelming feeling of disorientation.