Antonin Artaud

Antonin Artaud (1896–1948) was a French poet, playwright, actor and theatre theorist. He is best known for The Theatre and Its Double and for articulating the Theatre of Cruelty.

Prominent theorist of the Theatre of Cruelty (The Theatre and Its Double). Author of essays on Van Gogh. Performed in Carl Theodor Dreyer's film The Passion of Joan of Arc (noted in reviews). Experienced periods of internment and, as noted in reviews, prolonged electroshock treatment (reviews cite a nine‑year internment in Rodez clinic and approximately 48 electroshock sessions). Influenced later practitioners such as Jerzy Grotowski (referenced in reviews).

Reviews praise Artaud as a foundational avant‑garde figure and proponent of the Theatre of Cruelty. The Theatre and Its Double is presented as a milestone that challenged theatrical conventions. His essay on Van Gogh is described as a vehement, visionary defense. The reviews also note his internment and electroshock treatments.

For:students of theatre, avant-garde enthusiasts, art historians, readers interested in experimental drama