Martin Esslin
Martin Esslin, originally Julius Pereszlenyi, was a prominent figure in the world of theater criticism and drama. Born in 1918 in Budapest, Hungary, he later moved to Vienna and studied philosophy and English at the University of Vienna, obtaining a certificate in theatrical direction. To escape the Nazi occupation, he fled to Brussels and then to England, where he began working for the BBC in 1940. Esslin became known for his influential book "The Theatre of the Absurd," published in 1961, which outlined a new framework for understanding avant-garde dramatists of the 1950s and 1960s.
Over his career, he worked on numerous radio dramas, producing significant works by playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter. In addition to his role at the BBC, Esslin served as a professor of drama at Stanford University, where he was recognized for his engaging teaching style. He authored several critical studies and articles, shaping discussions around modern drama. Esslin was honored as an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1972 and continued to influence the field until his passing in 2002 due to complications from Parkinson's disease. His legacy endures through his writings and the impact he made on theater.
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Martin Esslin
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: June 8, 1918
- Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
- Died: February 24, 2002
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Julius Pereszlenyi, later known as Martin Esslin, was born to Charlotte Schiffer and Paul Pereszlenyi in Budapest, Hungary, in 1918. After World War I, the family moved to Vienna, Austria. Pereszlenyi was educated at the Bundesgymnasium II in Vienna. Between 1936 and 1938, he studied philosophy and English at the University of Vienna. He earned a certificate in theatrical direction from the Max Reinhardt Seminar of Dramatic Art in Vienna in 1938. In order to escape the Nazi occupation of Austria, Pereszlenyi fled to Brussels, Belgium.
In 1939, Pereszlenyi traveled to England, where he was employed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1940. From 1941 until 1955, he served as the producer and scriptwriter for BBC European Services. During that period of time, he became a naturalized British citizen and officially changed his name to Marin Julius Esslin. In 1947, he married Renate Gerstenberg. They had a daughter, Monica. In 1955, he became the assistant head of BBC European Productions.
Esslin published his first book, Brecht: A Choice of Evils—A Critical Study of the Man, His Work, and His Opinions in 1959, in which he examined the life of playwright Bertolt Brecht. Esslin moved to the BBC Radio Drama Department in 1961, serving initially as the assistant head. That same year, he published The Theatre of the Absurd, the book that established Esslin as one of the most famous, and sometimes controversial, theater critics. In this classic work, Esslin established a new set of standards for judging the work of the avant-garde dramatists who had emerged during the 1950’s and 1960’s by writing drama that seemed to have no particular plot, theme, or traditional elements. Esslin’s criteria for criticism could be applied to the new form of “absurd” drama to extract real meaning and understanding.
In 1963, Esslin became Head of the BBC Radio Drama Department, a position he held until 1977. During that time, he was responsible for the broadcast of more than four hundred plays annually, including the works of avant-garde dramatists including Samuel Beckett, John Arden, and Harold Pinter. During 1969, he was a visiting professor of theater at Florida State University. In 1970, he published The Peopled Wound: The Work of Harold Pinter, in which Esslin shared some of his insights about modern dramatic writing. Esslin was decorated as an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1972.
Soon after retiring from the BBC in 1977, Esslin became a professor of drama at Stanford University. He not only taught drama, but also comparative literature and German studies. He gained a reputation as an inspired teacher who taught with enthusiasm and clarity. He retired as a professor emeritus of drama in 1988, but continued to visit the campus to present seminars and mentor students until 2001. Not only did Esslin write many notable books, but he also published numerous articles in reference books and in literary and scholarly journals. He died of complications from Parkinson’s disease on February 24, 2002.