Antonin Artaud

Antonin Artaud (September 4, 1896–March 4, 1948) was a playwright, actor, and director.

Biographical Information

Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud was born in Marseille on September 4th, 1896. He died in Paris in 1948. Antonin is a diminutive form of Antoine (little Anthony), and was among a long list of names which Artaud went by throughout his life. Although his mother had many children, only Antoine, his brother and his sister survived infancy. At the age of four, Antonin had a severe attack of meningitis. The virus gave Antonin a nervous, irritable temperament throughout adolescence. He also suffered from neuralgia, stammering and severe bouts of depression. Artaud's parents arranged a long series of sanatorium stays for their disruptive son which were both prolonged and expensive. They lasted five years, with a break of two months, June and July 1916, when Artaud was conscripted into the army. He was discharged due to his self-induced habit of sleepwalking. During Artaud's "rest cures" at the sanatorium he read Rimbaud, Baudelaire and Poe. In May 1919 the director of the sanatorium, Dr. Dardel, perscribed opium for Artaud, precipitating a lifelong addiction to that and other drugs. In March 1920 Artaud moved to Paris. In November 1926 Artaud was expelled from the surrealist movement and also wrote his manifesto titled Manifesto for an Abortive Theatre.

Related Topics:
Marseille - 1896 - Paris - 1948 - Meningitis - Virus - Sanatorium - 1916 - Army - Sleepwalking - Rimbaud - Baudelaire - Poe - 1919 - Opium - 1920 - 1926 - Surrealist

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Artaud cultivated a great interest in Cinema as well, working in films such as Abel Gance's Napoleon in the role of Jean Paul Marat and Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc as the monk Jean Massieu. Artaud's portrayal of Marat is a perfect example of melodrama in silent film. He used exagerrated movements to convey the fire of Marat's personality, a technique that he would employ later in the Theatre and its Double, as well as in his adaptation of The Cenci.

Related Topics:
Cinema - Abel Gance - Napoleon - Jean Paul Marat - Carl Theodor Dreyer - The Passion of Joan of Arc - Melodrama - Silent film - The Cenci

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The 1930's saw the publication of The Theatre and Its Double, as well as the release of Artaud's only theatrical production: The Cenci. The Cenci was a commercial failure as the audience did not respond favorably to his Theatre of Cruelty. The production featured an odd assortment of sound effects and at one performance, Artaud played Count Cenci as a dog, coming on stage on all fours, barking his lines. After the production failed, Artaud received a grant to travel to Mexico where he was a guest lecturer. He also studied the Tarahumara and experimented with the drug peyote, recording his experiences which were later released in a volume called "The Peyote Dance". The content of this work closely resembles the poems of his later days, concerned primarily with the supernatural.

Related Topics:
1930 - Sound effect - Mexico - Tarahumara - Peyote - The Peyote Dance - Supernatural

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In 1937, Artaud returned to France where he obtained a walking stick of knotted wood that he believed belonged to St. Patrick. Artaud sought to return the staff to the Irish. It must be noted that he spoke very little English and he was unable to make himself understood. The majority of his trip was spent in a hotel room that he was unable to pay for. On the return trip from Ireland, Artaud was arrested and put in a straight-jacket.

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The return from Ireland brought about the beginning of the final phase of Artaud's life, which was spent in different asylums. When France was occupied by the Nazis, friends of Artaud had him transferred to the Psychiatric hospital in Rodez, well inside Vichy territory, where he was put under the charge of Dr.Gaston Ferdière. Ferdière began administering electroshock treatments, to eliminate Artaud's symptoms, that included crafting "spells" and drawing distubing images. The treatments were ultimately not helpful. In 1946, Ferdière released Artaud to his friends who placed him in the psychiatric clinic at Ivry-sur-Seine.

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Artaud was encouraged to write by his friends and interest in his work was rekindled. He recorded a production based on his poem "Artaud le Momo" for French Radio which was shelved due to the obscene subject matter of the text and general randomness of the cacophony of xylophonic sounds mixed with various percussive elements.

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In January of 1948 Artaud was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. On March 4th, 1948 Artaud died, alone in his pavilion, seated at the foot of his bed, holding his shoe. It was suspected that he died from a lethal dose of the drug chloral, although whether or not he took it knowing it was a lethal dose is not known.

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