The post-war Theater witnessed the alterations that the whole world underwent in the course of the Second World War. Right after the war, the European theatrical scenes were occupied by the plays of three authors. They are Tennessee Williams with his “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, Jean-Paul Sartre with “No Exit”, and Samuel Becket “Waiting for Godot”;
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Modern Theatre comes from the European Renaissance Theatre of the 16th-17th centuries that dates back to the Ancient Greek and Roman Theatre. Its foundation was laid down in England and Italy, especially by the English Renaissance Theatre between in the period between Reformation and theatre closure in 1642;
The beginning of the 19th century was swept by the never-before-seen cultural movement known as Romanticism. One of the first European dramatists who got himself involved in this process was August Schlegel that considered W. Shakespeare the greatest playwright;
Inter-War Theater
The European Theater after the First World War was absolutely different from the pre-war Theater as the world was different by itself. Two new art styles of Dada and Surrealism became dominant being based on the idea that nothing could make sense. The essence of these art styles in any possible kind of distortion that its creators propagandized. It was both post-Romantic and post-Realistic period which may be described as Expressionism.
The two most glorified dramatists were August Strinberg and Frank Wedekind.
Germany had several Expressionistic Theater geniuses whose names are Ernst Toller for "Man in the Masses", Georg Kaiser "Morn to Midnight", and Leopold Jessner.
In the USA, the greatest breakthrough was achieved by Eugene O'Neil who is officially recognized the fist world-known American dramatist. His masterpieces are "The Hairy Ape", and "Desire Under the Elms". His rival was Elmer Rice who created "The Adding Machine".
France was represented by Antonin Artaud "The Theater and Its Double". He was one of the first European dramatists who tackled the topic of Oriental techniques, paying attention to the Theater of atrocity.
In addition, the Theater becomes the object of interest of the world community with invention of Mass Media. Now theatrical plays could be heard, watched and read throughout the world.