Literary References and Historical Figures

The Seagull (1895) - Anton Chekhov

The Seagull, or Cháyka, takes place at an estate in the Russian countryside in 1895 and follows the intermingling lives of friends, family, and lovers. Four of our principal characters are artists whose pursuits parallel one another in many ways. Konstantin is a playwright. He is presenting one of his original works on an outdoor stage by the neighboring lake. He is in love with Nina, the young actress who lives across the lake. She has a starring role in his play. In attendance for the performance is Konstantin’s mother, Arkadina, and her lover, Trigorin. Arkadina is an accomplished actress whose career has begun to decline. Trigorin is a famous writer. During the performance Konstantin’s mother expresses her disapproval. The doubts he had about his skill as a writer worsen, and Konstantin becomes jealous when Trigorin captures Nina’s affections. He delivers a seagull to Nina, one that he shot dead,and threatens to do the same to himself. Akadina is also jealous of Nina and her youth. To make matters worse, later in the play Trigorin confesses to Arkadina that he has fallen for Nina as well. Despite her tactics to maintain their relationship and leave the countryside, Trigorin and Nina leave together, to the disappointment of both mother and son. One should note the irony in Konstantin and Arkadina’s choice of partner, each pair containing a writer and an actress, and each one envious of their opposite. 

Not only does Artaud Artaud contain direct references to The Seagull, it also contains similar themes. The play discusses the purpose of art and what it means to be an artist, and contains a relationship dynamic that mimics a child and a disapproving parent as well. 

Spurt of Blood - Antonin Artaud

An example of a piece of theater written using many of the principles of Artaud’s manifesto, The Theater of Cruelty. The style of writing puts much less emphasis on the spoken word. There are no long passages and very few full sentences are spoken. The play relies more on the metaphors that follow its archetypal characters, as well as stage directions that are visually shocking and could be considered impractical for live theater. 

One of the final stage directions, and possibly the most graphic, reads, “A multitude of scorpions crawl out from beneath the Wet-Nurse's dress and swarm between her legs. Her vagina swells up, splits and becomes transparent and glistening like a sun.” 

The script for Artaud Artaud includes similarly fantastical stage directions in some sections, and other elements of Spurt of Blood are reflected as well. The two plays use religious themes and imagery throughout, the act of confession, an all-powerful god-like being such as the literal hand of God and in the other case Artaud himself (when he puppeteers his Double), and the act of creation. 

Saint Anthony the Abbot

Saint Anthony lived most of his life in solitary retreat. The first scene title in the play is “Exile”. And another is “Saint Anthony in the Desert”. Artaud is seeking to find answers in his isolation at The Sanitorium of Rodez.  He seeks to discover a new form of theatre.

Saint Anthony was concerned his followers would begin to worship him rather than worshipping God. Similarly, Artaud’s Double doesn’t like being mistaken for his creator, the primary Artaud. Perhaps The Double recognizes that people appreciate Artaud. And perhaps it loves him as well in a complex sort of way. There isn't the same type of dedication as a saint might have to their God, but The Double clearly feels itself as its own individual identity and not deserving of credit for any od Artaud's achievements.  Artaud’s role is quite similar to God. In a way, Artaud is trying to become God by attempting to create a world, and a new life in a similar fashion to the Creator in Christian myth. Saint Anthony and the Double are both left to face trials without the help of their creator, and after their suffering their creator comes to them and speaks with them and shows mercy (somewhat). Gos speaks to Anthony and comends his perseverence over suffering, and Artaud, in a moment of compassion for The Double, reveals to it the nature of its existence within a play.

Le Passion de Jeanne d’Arc(1928) - Carl Th. Dreyer 

This film follows the story of the life of the historical figure Jeanne d’Arc, or Joan of Arc. She is most known for her military leadership during the Hundred Years’ War. It was particularly uncommon for a woman to be fighting with the French army during the 15th century. Ultimately Jeanne was captured, tried for heresy, and executed by burning at the stake. Her deeds garnered her canonization as a saint by the catholic church.

Features of her story which align with elements in Artaud Artaud include her dedication to her religion and the sacrifice of her life. A very obvious connection between the play and this film is that Antonin Artaud portrays one of the principal characters in La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc.

01:04:06 (4K with underscoring) This is the scene that is featured in Artaud Artaud, intertitle cards are in french but captioning is provided.

The underscoring music differs between the many versions of the film, several of them are on YouTube, feel free to explore!

The french pronunciation for the intertitles is available here: Dialect and Pronunciation 

Peer Gynt - Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen is one of Norway’s most renowned playwrights. His play Peer Gynt is based on a Norwegian folktale and although it is presented in play format the story is written in verse and reads more like a poem than a play. Ibsen pushed the envelope with Peer Gynt’s fantastical setting and characters. His stage directions include impractical elements and the plot itself exists between reality and dream, sometimes blurring the boundary between the two worlds. Although the play was lauded by many, some critics believed that a production of Peer Gynt wasn’t feasible, that Ibsen’s work was limited by the stagecraft technology of his time and the visuals in Peer Gynt could only be achieved through film. That does not mean the play was not performed. Very famously, Ibsen included incidental music throughout the story. The composer Edvard Grieg supplied two suites each with four movements to play over the runtime of the performance. This includes the famous piece “In the Hall of the Mountain King” which is well known for its uniquely sinister melody. 

The story follows the titular Peer over the course of his life from the start of the play where he is a young man to the very end of his life. He begins by arriving home and describing his misadventures in buck-hunting to the dismay of his mother. He runs away with a bride-to-be, Solveig, and they share a night in the mountains which Peer is punished for by banishment. He is led through a dream into the Mountain Hall to stand before the Troll King who offers Peer his daughter’s hand in marriage and a question to ponder; “what is the difference between troll and man?” After waking from this dream, Peer moves on and travels to Morocco and then through the desert in Egypt. When Peer finally returns home he is an old man. At the end of his life he is to be judged for his deeds, however he finds that all his travels and attempts to avoid facing his responsibilities, have left him with a blank page. He has no sins to report but also no good works to speak for. What has his life meant to anyone but himself? Has he lived his life as a troll or a man?

Peer Gynt and Artaud Artaud question the importance of legacy; what a person leaves behind after they die, if anyone will remember their life at all, and if they are remembered in fame or infamy. 

Wheatfield with Crows - Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is an example of an artist who did not gain widespread appreciation until after his death. Perhaps his popularity was gained partially because of the myth and rumor that surrounded his story. He was hospitalized several times and suffered from frequent mental breakdowns, one very famous incident included the severing of his own ear with a razor. This happened between December 23rd and 24th in 1888, as indicated by a telegram sent to his brother Theo from fellow painter Paul Gauguin, who was living with Vincent in Arles at the time. 

Vincent maintained a regular correspondence with his brother Theo. If you'd like to read more of his letters, this book is available at the STL:

Gogh, Vincent van, and Mark W Roskill. 1997. The Letters of Vincent van Gogh / Selected, Edited and Introduced by Mark Roskill. 1st Touchstone ed. New York: Simon & Schuster.

On Library Website

Unlike the character Artaud, Van Gogh seemed less concerned with how is art could change the future of impressionism, and more with simply making a living from doing what he loved. Featuring his severed ear as a character in one of the rehearsals Artaud runs at Rodez within the play Artaud Artaud, follows along with the themes of artists and the purpose of art, and also its symbolism as an act of destruction/creation.