Fernando Arrabal Terán (; ; born August 11, 1932) is a Spanish playwright, screenwriter, film director, novelist, and poet. He was born in

Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was part of the Province of Málaga un ...

and settled in France in 1955. Regarding his nationality, Arrabal describes himself as "desterrado", or "half-

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

, half-

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

d". Arrabal has directed seven full-length feature films and has published over 100 plays; 14 novels; 800 poetry collections, chapbooks, and

artists' books Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that engage with and transform the form of a book. Some are mass-produced with multiple editions, some are published in small editions, while others are produced as one-of-a-kind o ...

; several essays; and his notorious "Letter to General Franco" during the dictator's lifetime. His complete plays have been published, in multiple languages, in a two-volume edition totaling over two thousand pages. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' theatre critic

Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for ''The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...

has called Arrabal the last survivor among the "three avatars of

modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

". In 1962, Arrabal co-founded the Panic Movement with

Alejandro Jodorowsky Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (; born 17 February 1929) is a Chilean and French Experimental film, avant-garde filmmaker. Known for his films ''El Topo'' (1970), ''The Holy Mountain (1973 film), The Holy Mountain'' (1973) and ''Santa Sangre'' ...

and

Roland Topor Roland Topor (7 January 1938 – 16 April 1997) was a French illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, painter, novelist, playwright, film and TV writer, filmmaker and actor, who was known for the surrealism, surreal nature of his work. He was of Po ...

, inspired by the god Pan. He was elected Transcendent Satrap of the Collège de Pataphysique in 1990. Forty other Transcendent Satraps have been elected over the past half-century, including

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, ; ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, Futurism and conceptual art. He is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Pica ...

Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; ; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre#Avant-garde, French avant-garde th ...

Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American naturalized French visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, ...

Boris Vian Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of th ...

, Dario Fo,

Umberto Eco Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian Medieval studies, medievalist, philosopher, Semiotics, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular ...

, and

Jean Baudrillard Jean Baudrillard (, ; ; – 6 March 2007) was a French sociology, sociologist and philosopher with an interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as well as hi ...

. Arrabal spent three years as a member of

André Breton André Robert Breton (; ; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') ...

's surrealist group and was a friend of

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

and

Tristan Tzara Tristan Tzara (; ; ; born Samuel or Samy Rosenstock, also known as S. Samyro; – 25 December 1963) was a Romanian and French avant-garde poet, essayist and performance artist. Also active as a journalist, playwright, literary and art critic, c ...

. Writer and critic Javier Villan wrote of Arrabal:

Childhood (1932–1946)

Arrabal (Terán is his second family name) was born to Carmen Terán González and painter Fernando Arrabal Ruiz. On July 17, 1936, when insurrections within the military were staged against the constitutional government of the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...

, launching the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, Arrabal's father remained faithful to the Republic and was sentenced to death for

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...

. His sentence was later commuted to 30 years' imprisonment. He was transferred between prisons, from Santi Espiritu in Melilla to Monte Hacho in

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...

, where he attempted suicide, as well as

Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky r ...

and

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populous municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of th ...

. On December 4, 1941, he was sent to the Burgos Hospital due to apparent

mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

. Later research has found that he likely feigned mental order in order to be transferred to a lower security prison. On December 29, 1941, he escaped from the hospital in his pajamas, despite three feet of snow covering the countryside. Despite extensive research, he was never seen again. About his father, Arrabal has written: "Without trying to compare what is incomparable, when I confront these twilight episodes (and quite often without any logical connection), I often think of that scapegoat, my father. The day on which the Uncivil War began, he was locked up by his 'compassionate companions' in the flag room of the Melilla military barracks. He was meant to think carefully, since he risked a death sentence for mutiny if he did not join them in their insurrection (alzamiento). After an hour, Lieutenant Fernando Arrabal summoned his ex-comrades – already! – to inform them that he had pondered long enough. Today, because of this precedent, must I serve as witness, example, or symbol, as he did, of the most fundamental occurrences? I, who am a mere exile. If I am taken away from my beloved numerics, everything around me leads to over-the-counter confusion and disorder. I have no wish to be a scapegoat like my father, I only ask to die while still living, whenever Pan so wishes." In 1936, Arrabal's mother returned to Ciudad Rodrigo with her young son, Fernando, and found a job at Burgos, then-capitol of the Nationalists and headquarters of General Franco's government. Fernando was enrolled in a local

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

school from 1937 until 1940, when the Civil War ended and he moved with his mother to

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. Arrabal was awarded the national prize for gifted children in 1941. He continued his studies at Las Escuelas Pías de San Antón, a church school whose

alumni Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

have also included

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

and Jacinto Benavente y Martínez. Arrabal later studied at another distinguished Madrid school, Colegio Padres Escolapios De Getafe. He was an avid reader and was eager to experience life.

Youth and young adulthood (1947–1976)

In 1947, when his mother ordered him to attend preparatory classes for entrance to the Academia General Militar, Arrabal protested by playing hooky. She subsequently sent him to Tolosa (

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa ( , ; ; ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiqu ...

), where he studied business at the Escuela Teórico-Práctica de la Industria y el Comercio del Paper, in 1949. By 1950, he had begun writing several plays, which remain unpublished. In 1951, Arrabal began working in the

paper industry The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood, specifically pulpwood, as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard, and other cellulose-based products. Manufacturing process In the manufacturing process, pulp is intro ...

at La Papelera Española. He moved to

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

and passed his bachillerato, the first non-compulsory educational option in Spain for admission to university. He later moved to Madrid and began

legal studies Jurisprudence, also known as theory of law or philosophy of law, is the examination in a general perspective of what law is and what it ought to be. It investigates issues such as the definition of law; legal validity; legal norms and values ...

. During these years, he frequented the cultural institution

Ateneo de Madrid The Ateneo de Madrid ("Athenæum of Madrid") is a private cultural institution located in the capital of Spain that was founded in 1835. Its full name is ''Ateneo Científico, Literario y Artístico de Madrid'' ("Scientific, Literary and Artistic ...

and heard poets from the Postismo school. He was also finishing his early play ''Picnic,'' then titled ''The Soldiers'', and writing ''El triciclo'', at first titled ''Men with a Tricycle''. In 1954, Arrabal hitchhiked to Paris to attend a performance of

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

's '' Mother Courage and Her Children'' given by the touring Berliner Ensemble. Later that year, in Madrid, he met Luce Moreau, who became his wife. In 1955, he was awarded a three-month scholarship to study in Paris, during which time he lived at the Colegio de España at the Cité Universitaire. While in Paris he suffered a serious relapse of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. He considered this disease to be a "lucky mishap" that allowed him to move permanently to his "veritable homeland, that of Kundera and Vives,

Saint Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola ( ; ; ; ; born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Basques, Basque Spaniard Priesthood in the Catholic Church, Catholic priest and theologian, who, with six compa ...

and

Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

: exile." In 1976 he appeared in

Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, producer, professor of directing and one of the most influential and famous LGBT social move ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

film '' Underground and Friends''.

Politics

Arrabal had been known for being anti- Francoist and anti-monarchist and interested in

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

trends in cultural production.Javier Villán, ''El Mundo'' May 18, 2010
Lo de Arrabal es algo muy serio
Arrabal had a complicated relationship with Communism. He had ties with the

Communist Party of Spain The Communist Party of Spain (; PCE) is a communist party that, since 1986, has been part of the United Left coalition, which is currently part of Sumar. Two of its politicians are Spanish government ministers: Yolanda Díaz (Minister of L ...

during his exile, but a rupture seems to have occurred in 1977 due to a conflict with his play '' The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria'' being performed in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

with artists reputed to have Communist Party ties.

Awards and recognition

Arrabal was among the more controversial writers of his time, and his work has been recognized internationally. Awards include the Grand Prize for Theatre of the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

, the Premio Mariano de Cavia for journalism, the Nabokov Prize for novels, the Espasa Prize for essays, and the World Theater Prize. In 2001, he was nominated for the Premio Cervantes by

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

winner Camilo José Cela and

José Hierro José Hierro del Real (born 3 April 1922 in Madrid, Spain – died 21 December 2002 in Madrid, Spain), sometimes colloquially called Pepe Hierro, was a Spanish poet. He belonged to the so-called Spanish Civil War, postwar generation, within the r ...

. He was reportedly a finalist for the Nobel Prize in 2005 due to the solicitation of several institutions and individuals. On July 14, 2005, he was named to France's

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. In 2007, he was awarded a doctorate of letters Honoris Causa by the

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ( AUTh; ), often called the University of Thessaloniki, is the second oldest tertiary education institution in Greece. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, about east of Thessa ...

in Greece. His other awards and recognition include: *2019: Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise, March 1, 2019 *2010: Premier Prix International Théâtre du Millénaire *2008: **Hijo adoptivo de Ciudad Rodrigo (Spain) **Ciudadano de honor, Erlanger (Germany) ** Fronteira do Pensamento with Bob Wilson,

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, and Bernard Henri Levy (

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...

, Brazil) *2007: **Prix Spinoza (Festival Teranova) **Doctorate of letters Honoris Causa (Thessaloniki, Greece) **Max de Honor, Teatro (Spain) **Prix Pasolini, cinéma (París) *2006: **Gran Prix d'Interprétation (Festival de Quend, film: '' Avida'') **Citoyen d'honneur de Spa (Belgium) **Clés de la ville de Fontenay (France) *2005: ** French Legion of Honor, July 14, 2005 ** Checa Association of Film Directors Prize, René Char Gold Medal,

Avignon Festival The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival (), is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by Jean ...

* 2004 ** First Panic Award, International Book Fair (

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

) ** Francisco de Vitoria Prize (Puerto Rico) **Wittgenstein Prize (

University of Murcia The University of Murcia () is the primary institute of higher education in Murcia, Spain. With a student population of approximately 38,000, it is the largest university in the Region of Murcia. Founded in 1272 AD, the University of Murcia is ...

, Spain) *2003 ** National Dramatic Literature Award (Spain) ** Gold Medal of San Fando (Buenos Aires) * 2002: Gold Medal of the City of Avignon * 2001: Premio Nacional de Teatro (Spain) * 2000: National Prize for Literature (Spain) *1999: Alessandro Manzoni Poetry Prize (Italy) * 1998: Prize of the Society of Authors (France) * 1995: Officer of Arts and Letters (France) * 1993: Theatre Prize of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

* 1990: elected to honorary title of Transcendent Satrape of the Collège de 'Pataphysique; group founded in 1948 in homage to French author

Alfred Jarry Alfred Jarry (; ; 8 September 1873 – 1 November 1907) was a French Artistic symbol, symbolist writer who is best known for his play ''Ubu Roi'' (1896)'','' often cited as a forerunner of the Dada, Surrealism, Surrealist, and Futurism, Futurist ...

, has named previous Transcendent Satrapes including: Camilo José Cela,

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

Jean Dubuffet Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (; 31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French Painting, painter and sculpture, sculptor of the School of Paris, École de Paris (School of Paris). His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" a ...

Max Ernst Max Ernst (; 2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) was a German-born painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and surrealism in Europe. He had no formal artistic trai ...

M. C. Escher Maurits Cornelis Escher (; ; 17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972) was a Dutch graphic artist who made woodcuts, lithography, lithographs, and mezzotints, many of which were Mathematics and art, inspired by mathematics. Despite wide popular int ...

Michel Leiris Julien Michel Leiris (; 20 April 1901, Paris – 30 September 1990, Saint-Hilaire, Essonne) was a French surrealist writer and ethnographer. Part of the Surrealist group in Paris, Leiris became a key member of the College of Sociology with Geor ...

, The Marx Brothers,

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...

Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the Poetic realism, poetic ...

, Raymond Queneau, and

; after Arrabal received this title, other Transcendent Satrapes have been named, including:

, and Dario Fo * 1986: Fine Arts Gold Medal of the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

(Spain) * 1983: Chevalier of Arts and Letters (France) * 1982: Nadal Prize for ''La torre herida por el rayo'' * 1976:

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

for Theater (New York) * 1965 Lugné-Poë Theatre Prize (France) * 1959:

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...

Award with

Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, ; ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian novelist and short story writer. His best-known works include the ''Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the '' Cosm ...

, Hugo Claus, Charles Tomlinson,

Günter Grass Günter Wilhelm Grass (; 16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in the Free City of Danzig (now Gda ...

, and Robert Pinget (New York)

Selected works

Feature-length films

Arrabal has written and directed seven feature-length films, and has been awarded the Premio Pier Paolo Pasolini for his contributions to cinema. * 1971: '' Viva la muerte''; co-produced by Isabel-Films (Paris) and S.A.T.P.E.C. (Tunis); starring Nuria Espert, Ivan Henriques, and Anouk Ferjac * 1973: '' J'irai comme un cheval fou''; produced by Société Générale de Production – Babylone Films; starring Emmanuelle Riva, Hachemi Marzouk, and George Shannon * 1975: ''L'arbre de Guernica''; produced by C.V.C. Communication, Federico Mueller, and Harry N. Blum; starring

Mariangela Melato Mariangela Caterina Melato (; 19 September 1941 – 11 January 2013), sometimes billed as Maria Angela Melato, was an Italian actress. She is most remembered for her roles in films of director Lina Wertmüller, including '' The Seduction of Mimi' ...

and Ron Faber * 1982: ''The Emperor of Peru'' (also released as ''Odyssey of the Pacific'' and ''Treasure Train''); produced by Babylone Films; starring

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last survivi ...

and Monique Leclerc * 1983: ''Le cimetière des voitures''; television film; co-produced by Antenne 2 and Babylone Films; starring

Alain Bashung Alain Bashung (born Alain Claude Baschung, ; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded as the most importan ...

and Juliette Berto * 1992: ''Adieu, Babylone!''; produced by Antenne 2 – Cinecim; starring Lélia Fischer and

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

* 1998: ''Jorge Luis Borges: Una vida de poesía''; produced by Alphaville – Spirali (Italy); starring Lélia Fischer and Alessandro Atti In 2005, a 3- disc

box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

of Arrabal's films was released by Cult Epics with ''Viva la muerte'', ''I Will Walk Like a Crazy Horse'', and ''The Tree of Guernica''. Several of Arrabal's plays have been adapted for film, including ''Le grand cérémonial'', directed by Pierre-Alain Jolivet; ''El triciclo'', directed by Luis Argueta; ''El ladrón de sueños'', directed by Arroyo; ''Pique-nique'', directed by Louis Sénéchal; ''Guernica'', directed by Peter Lilienthal; and '' Fando y Lis'', directed by

. One critic wrote, "''Viva la muerte'' is an absolute masterpiece, one of the most astonishing I have seen in my lifetime" (André Pieyre de Mandiargues). Another, for

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

, wrote, "Arrabal is ferociously original" (John Parrack).

Amos Vogel Amos Vogel ( Vogelbaum; April 18, 1921 – April 24, 2012) was a New York City cineaste and curator. Biography Vogel was born in Vienna, Austria. He fled Austria with his parents after the Nazi '' Anschluß'' in 1938 and at first studied animal h ...

wrote, in the ''

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

'', "An audacious, paroxistic, and artistically successful work". Raymond Léopold Bruckberger wrote, for ''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

'', "I prefer Arrabal to

Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...

... he is to cinema what Rimbaud is to poetry."

Short films

* 1978: ''Sang et or''; produced by Antenne 2; starring Edgar Rock and Joshua Watsky * 1990: ''Échecs et Mythe''; produced by Antenne 2; starring Joël Lautier,

, Julie Delpy, and Gabriel Matzneff * 1991: ''New York City!''; produced by Antenne 2; starring Tom O'Horgan,

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the early 2020s. His feature film debut, ''The Story of a Three-Day Pa ...

, and Tom Bishop

Operas

Arrabal's opera ''Faustbal'' with music by Leonardo Balada premiered at the Teatro Real de Madrid on February 13, 2009, staged by the Comediants of Barcelona. Arrabal wrote of the opera, "Faustbal is a woman who, in the third millennium, is the reincarnation of Alfred Jarry's Doctor Faustroll, a new doctor Faust who asks God and Lucifer for words and prayers so that love and charity might be unified. Nothing can satisfy the hurricane of her scientific curiosity, nor calm the storms of her desires. A genius, very beautiful, and enriched by her transports and transfigurations, she vows a torrid love for her Amazon. She leaps between galaxies while the war to end all civilization rages, and moves through space at supersonic speed. Confronting her, Margarito, supreme leader of the armed forces, dons the armor of brutal, electronic repression. He is madly in love with Faustbal under the sky's cupola. He tries to possess her through the torrent of his tower, employing the services of Mephistopheles himself. Jesús López Cobos, music director of the Teatro Real de Madrid, will conduct the world premiere, which will be sung by sopranos Ana Ibarra and María Rodríguez. The mezzo-soprano Cecilia Diaz will sing the role of the Amazon, while tenors Gerhard Siegel and Eduardo Santamaría will be the two Margaritos, bass Stefano Palatchi will perform the role of God, and baritones Tomas Tomasson and Lauri Vasar will be Mephistopheles." Four other operas with Arrabal's

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

s have been staged, and the author describes them as "always having been as complex, yet suffering from as few complexes, as did ''Faustbal''." They are: *''Apokaliptica'', music by Milko Kelemen. *''L'opéra de la Bastille'', music by Marcel Landowski *''Picknick im Felde'', music by Constantinos Stylianou *''Guernica'', music by Ostfiend Busing In October 1985, Arrabal made his debut as an opera stage director at the Opéra Royal de Belgique, where he directed

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...

's '' La vida breve'' and

Enrique Granados Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enrique Granados in Spanish or ''Enric Granados'' in Catalan, was a Spanish composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Cat ...

' ''Goyescas''. "Of course," Arrabal commented, "under my direction the onstage chorus was nude, or to be more precise, panically covered with clay." In 1994, Chamber Made produced the opera of Arrabal's
The Two Executioners
', with libretto by Douglas Horton and music by David Chesworth. The opera ran for two seasons in Melbourne, 1994 and 1996 at the Malthouse Theatre. Australia's ''The Independent Monthly'' wrote, "Easily the most impressive and memorable piece of music theatre in 1994."

Novels

*''Baal Babylone'', 1959 (New York:

Grove Press Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1947. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, and Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United S ...

, 1960; Berlin: Luchterhand Literaturverlag, 1960; Milan: Lerici, 1960; Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij, 1972) *''L'enterrement de la sardine'' (Julliard, 1961; ''The Burial of the Sardine'', London: Calder and Boyars, 1966; ''El entierro de la sardina'', Barcelona: Destino, 1984) *''Fêtes et rites de la confusion'' (Madrid, Barcelona:

Alfaguara Alfaguara is a Spanish-language publishing house that serves markets in Hispanic America, Spain and the United States. It was founded by the Spanish writer and Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela. History and profile Alfaguara was establishe ...

, 1966; ''Riten und Feste der Konfusion'',

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

: Joseph Melzer, 1969) *''La Tour prends garde'' (Paris: Grasset, 1983; ''La torre herida por el rayo'', Barcelona: Destino, 1983; Destino libro, 1984; Círculo de Lectores, 1984; ''A Torre ferida pelo Raio'',

Lisboa Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

: Inquirito, 1982; ''Hohe Türme trifft der Blitz'', Colonia: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1986; ''The Tower Struck by Lightning'', New York:

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

, 1988) *''La Reverdie'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois, 1985) *''La piedra iluminada'' (Barcelona:

Destino ''Destino'' is an animated surrealist short film released in 2003 by Walt Disney Animation Studios. ''Destino'' is unique in that its production originally began in 1945 (five years after the release of Fantasia), 58 years before its eventual ...

, 1985; ''The Compass Stone'', tr. Andrew Hurley, New York:

, 1987) *''La vierge rouge'' (Paris: Acropole, 1986; ''La virgen roja'', Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1987; ''A Virgen Vermelha'', Lisboa: Dom Quixote, 1987; ''A Virgen Vermelha'',

Botafogo Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood (''bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of M ...

: Nova Frontera, 1988; ''Die rote Jungfrau'', Göttingen:

Steidl Steidl is a German-language publisher based in Göttingen, Germany. Founded in 1968 by Gerhard Steidl, it publishes photobooks. Overview The company was started by Gerhard Steidl.Bill Kouwenhoven, "Off to see the wizard", ''British Journa ...

, 1990; ''The Red Virgin'', New York, London:

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

, 1993) *''La fille de King-Kong'' (Paris: Acropole, 1988; ''La hija de King Kong'', Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1988) *''L' extravagante croisade d'un castrat amoureux'' (Paris: Ramsay, 1989; ''La extravagante cruzada de un castrado enamorado'', Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1990) *''La tueuse du jardin d'hiver'' (Paris: Écriture, 1994) *''Le funambule de Dieu'' (Paris: Écriture, 1998) *''Porté disparu'' (Paris: Plon, 2000) *''Champagne pour tous'' (Paris:

Stock Stocks (also capital stock, or sometimes interchangeably, shares) consist of all the Share (finance), shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporatio ...

, 2002) *''Como un paraíso de locos'' (2008)

Artists' books

Arrabal has made over 700 artists' books in collaboration with

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgium, Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature ...

, Julius Baltazar,

Antonio Saura Antonio Saura Atarés (September 22, 1930 – July 22, 1998) was a Spanish artist and writer, one of the major post-war painters to emerge in Spain in the fifties whose work has marked several generations of artists and whose critical voice is ...

, Olivier O. Olivier, Maxime Godard, Jean Cortot, Jorge Camacho,

Ralph Gibson Ralph Gibson (born January 16, 1939) is an American art photographer best known for his photographic books. His images often incorporate fragments with erotic and mysterious undertones, building narrative meaning through contextualization and ...

Enrico Baj Enrico Baj (31 October 1924 – 16 June 2003) was an Italian artist and writer on art. Many of his works show an obsession with nuclear war. He created prints, and sculptures but especially collage. He was close to the surrealist and dada mo ...

, Gustavo Charif,

Milan Kundera Milan Kundera ( ; ; 1 April 1929 – 11 July 2023) was a Czech and French novelist. Kundera went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. His Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, but he was granted Czech citizenship ...

Michel Houellebecq Michel Houellebecq (; born Michel Thomas on 26 February 1956) is a French author of novels, poems, and essays, as well as an occasional actor, filmmaker, and singer. His first book was a biographical essay on the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. H ...

and others. They include: *''L'odeur de Sainteté'' (Paris: Yves Rivière, 1975; with

; 2 copies) *''Cinq sonnets, cincq eaux-fortes'' (Paris: André Biren, 1980; with Balthazar; 80 copies) *''Sous le flux libertin'' (Paris: Robert et Lydie Dutrou, 1991; with Jean Cortot) *''Triptyque'' ( Cuenca: Menú, 2004; with

Catherine Millet Catherine Millet (; born 1 April 1948) is a French writer, art critic, curator, and founder and editor of the magazine ''Art Press'', which focuses on modern art and contemporary art. Biography Born in Bois-Colombes, France, she is best known ...

and

; 36 copies) *''Clitoris'' (2008 poem with 56 translations, including Czech by

)

Poetry

*''La pierre de la folie'' (Paris: Julliard, 1963) *''Cent sonnets'' (Saragossa: El Ultimo Parnaso, 1965) *''Humbles paradis'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois, 1985) *''Liberté couleur de femme ou Adieu Babylone, Poèmes cinématographiques'' ( Mortemart: Rougerie, 1993) **''Arrabalesques – Lettres à Julius Baltazar'' (Mortemart: Rougerie) *''Diez poemas pánicos y un cuento'' ( Córdoba: Caja Sur y Rute, 1997) In 2015, some of Arrabal's poems were adapted with music by the band Seagoat Bones on their etude album ''Phonèmes''.

Plays

Arrabal has published over 100 plays in 19 volumes. His plays include, with translations noted: *1952 **''Le toit'' (unpublished) ** ''Le char de foin'' (unpublished) ** ''La blessure incurable'' (unpublished) *1958 **''Oraison'' (Paris: Julliard) (''Plays, Vol. 1: Orison, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1962; ''Orazione, etc.'', Milan: Lerici, 1962) ** ''Les deux bourreaux'' (Paris: Julliard) (''The two executioners'' translated by Richard Howard, New York:

, 1960; ''Plays, Vol. 1: The Two Executioners, etc.'', translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1962; ''I due Carnefici, etc.'', Milan: Lerici, 1962) ** ''Fando et Lis'' (Paris: Julliard) (''Plays, Vol. 1: Fando and Lis, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1962) ** ''Le cimetière des voitures'' (Paris: Julliard) (''The Automobile Graveyard'' translated by Richard Howard, New York: Grove Press, 1960; ''Plays, Vol. 1: The Car Cemetery, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1962; ''Automobil Kirkegaarden'',

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

: Arena, 1964) *1961 **''Guernica'' (Paris: Julliard) (''Plays, Vol. 2: Guernica, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London, Calder and Boyars: 1967) ** ''Le labyrinthe'' (Paris: Julliard) (''Plays, Vol. 2: The Labyrinth, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London, Calder and Boyars: 1967) ** ''Le tricycle'' (Paris: Julliard) (''Plays, Vol. 2: The Tricycle, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1967; ''The Tricycle'' translated by David Herzberger, ''Modern International Drama'' 9.2, 1976, p. 65-91) ** ''Pique-nique en campagne'' (Paris: Julliard). (''Picnic on the Battlefield'' translated by James Hewitt, '' Evergreen Review'' 4.15, 1960, p. 76-90; ''Pic-nic, etc.'', Milan: Lerici, 1962; ''Plays, Vol. 2: Picnic on the Battlefield, etc.'', translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1967) ** ''La bicyclette du condamné'' (Paris: Julliard) (''Plays, Vol. 2: The Condemned Man's Bicycle, etc.'' translated by Barbara Wright, London: Calder and Boyars, 1967) *1965 **''Le grand cérémonial'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''Plays, Vol. 3: The Grand Ceremonial, etc.'' translated by Jean Benedetti; London: Calder and Boyars, 1970) ** ''Cérémonie pour un noir assassiné'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Cérémonie pour une chèvre et un nuage'' (Daily Bul) *1966 **''Le couronnement'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Concert dans un oeuf'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1967 **''L'architecte et l'empereur d'Assyrie'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''De Architekt en de Keiser van Assyrië'', Amsterdam: Uitgeverij de Bezige Bij, 1969; ''Plays, Vol. 3: The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria'' translated by Jean Benedetti, London: Calder and Boyars, 1970; ''The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria'' translated by Everard d'Harnoncourt and Adele Shank, New York: Grove Press, 1969; ''Der Architekt und der Kaiser von Assyrien'', Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1971; O ''Arquitecto e o Imperador da Assiria'',

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

: Desta, 1976) ** ''Les amours impossibles'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''Impossible Lovers, etc.'' translated by Bettina Knapp, '' The Drama Review'' 13, 1968, p. 71-86) ** ''Les quatre cubes'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La communion solennelle'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''First Communion'' translated by Michel Benedikt in ''Modern Spanish Theatre'', New York: E. P. Dutton, 1968, p. 309–317; ''Solemn Communion, etc.'' translated by Bettina Knapp, ''The Drama Review'' 13, 1968, p. 71-86; ''Plays, Vol. 3: The Solemn Communion, etc.'' translated by John Calder, London: Calder and Boyars, 1970) ** ''Streap-tease de la jalousie'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''Striptease of Jealousy, etc.'' translated by Bettina Knapp, ''The Drama Review'' 13, 1968, p. 71-86) ** ''La jeunesse illustrée'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Dieu est-il devenu fou?'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1968 **''Le jardin des délices'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''Garden of Delights'' translated by Helen Gary Bishop and Tom Bishop, New York: Grove Press, 1974) ** ''Bestialité érotique'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Une tortue nommée Dostoïevski'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Théâtre choisi'' (4 volumes en japonais) (Tokyo: Shichosha) *1969 **''...Et ils passèrent des menottes aux fleurs'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) (''And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers'' translated by Charles Marowitz, New York: Grove Press, 1973) ** ''L'aurore rouge et noire'' (''Groupuscule de mon coeur''; ''Tous les parfums d'Arabie''; ''Sous les pavés la plage''; ''Les fillettes'') (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Le lai de Barrabas'' (Le couronnement) (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1970 **''Happening at the Théâtre Plaisance in Paris in February'' (Grand-Guignol) *1972 **''Ars Amandi'' (opéra "Panique") (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Dieu tenté par les mathématiques'' (opéra "Panique") (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Le ciel et la merde'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La grande revue du XXe siècle'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1975 **''Jeunes barbares d'aujourd'hui'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1976 **''La guerre de mille ans (Bella Ciao)'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Sur le fil ou la ballade du train fantôme'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1978 **''La tour de Babel (Oyez Patria mi affliccion)'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La marche royale'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Une orange sur le mont de Vénus'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La gloire en images'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Vole-moi un petit milliard'' (Théâtre Bouffe) (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Le pastaga des loufs ou Ouverture Orang-outan'' (Théâtre Bouffe) (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Punk et punk et colégram'' (Théâtre Bouffe) (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1979 **''Inquisición'' (

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

: Don Quijote) *1980 **''Mon doux royaume saccagé'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Le roi de Sodome'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Le ciel et la merde II'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1982 **''L'extravagante réussite de Jésus-Christ, Karl Marx et William Shakespeare'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Lève-toi et rêve'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1983 ** ''Le cheval-jument ou hommage à John Kennedy T.'' *1984 **''Les délices de la chair'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La ville dont le prince était une princesse'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1985 **''Bréviaire d'amour d'un haltérophile'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Apokalyptica'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La charge des centaures'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1988 **''Les "cucarachas" de Yale'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''Une pucelle pour un gorille'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La madonne rouge'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) ** ''La traversée de l'Empire'' (Paris: Christian Bourgois) *1989 **''L'extravagante croisade d'un révolutionnaire obese'' (

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

: Phi) *1990 **''La nuit est aussi un soleil'' (

Actes Sud Actes Sud is a French publishing house based in Arles. It was founded in 1978 by author Hubert Nyssen. By 2013, the company, then headed by Nyssen's daughter, Françoise Nyssen, had an annual turnover of 60 million euros and 60 staff members. ...

) ** ''Roues d'infortune'' (Actes Sud) ** ''L'opéra de la Bastille'' (opéra écrit pour le bicentenaire de la Révolution française) *1992 **''Oeuvres Tome I (théâtre, poésie, roman)'' (Milan: Spirali – Vel) *1994 **''Lully'' (Actes Sud) ** ''Entends la nuit douce qui marche'' (Actes Sud) ** ''Le fou rire des liliputiens'' (Actes Sud) *1996 **''Comme un lis entre les épines'' (Actes Sud) *1997 **''Théâtre complet'' (7 volumes en langue coréenne) ( Séoul: Coréenne) *1999 **''Lettre d'amour'' (Actes Sud) ** ''Comme un supplice chinois'' (Actes Sud) ** ''Théâtre complet'' (2 volumes en langue espagnole) (

: Espasa) Arrabal's plays were frequently produced at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City throughout the 1970s. Productions at La MaMa included: * ''The Two Executioners'' (1962) directed by Andy Milligan; Arrabal performed alongside Martine Barrat * ''Fando and Lis'' (1971) directed by Franz Marijnen * ''Dos Obras de Arrabal'' (1972) directed by Delfor Peralta * ''The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria'' (1976) directed by Tom O'Horgan * ''The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria'' (1977) directed by Tom O'Horgan * ''Dance/Theater of Richard S. Bach'' (1984) choreographed by Richard S. Bach A traveling company from La MaMa also took ''The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria'' on tour to Philadelphia, Amsterdam, Venezuela, and

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian Sea, incl ...

in 1977–1979. For a more extensive list of productions of Arrabal's plays, see his official website.

Paintings

* Arrabal has described himself as a "frustrated painter". He has produced approximately 50 canvases and 100 drawings and collages, which have been exhibited in museums such as the Paris Art Center, Musée de Bayeux, and the Villa San Carlo Borromeo Art Museum in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. * His approach to painting involves close collaboration with artists who produce large-format

oil painting Oil painting is a painting method involving the procedure of painting with pigments combined with a drying oil as the Binder (material), binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on canvas, wood panel, or oil on coppe ...

s based on the detailed sketches he provides. * In 1962, his first painting was chosen for reproduction in the art publication ''La Brèche: Action Surréaliste Revue'' by its founding editor,

. * Arrabal has collaborated with sculptor and video artist Christèle Jacob, with whom he has created a dozen videos and

photomontage Photomontage is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. Sometimes the resulting composite image is photographed so that the final imag ...

series, including ''Les artilleurs des échecs et de la littérature'' (The artillery corps of chess and literature), inspired by a 1909 artwork by

Henri Rousseau Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (; 21 May 1844 – 2 September 1910)
at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Gug ...

Essays and non-fiction

*''Carta al General Franco'' (

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

Spanish-French edition, Paris: Bourgois, 1972, col. 10–18; Paris: Anonyme Anarchiste Pop, 1971; Buenos Aires: Granica, 1973; Noce: Babilonia, 1976; Barcelona: Actuales, 1978). *''Le Panique'' (Paris: Union Générale d'Edition, 1973). *''Sur Fischer: Initiation aux échecs'' (

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

: du Rocher, 1974; ''Fischer, le roi maudit'' evised edition Luxembourg: Phi, 1988). *''Carta a los militantes comunistas españoles'' (Sueño y mentira del eurocomunismo) (bilingual Spanish-French edition, Paris: Bourgois, 1978; Barcelona: Actuales, 1978; Acción directa, 1980). *''Les échecs féeriques et libertaires'' (articles from ''

L'Express (, stylized in all caps) is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre-right in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''R� ...

'') (Monaco: du Rocher, 1980). *''Carta a los comunistas españoles y otras cartas'' (Letters to Franco, to the King, etc.) (

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

: Godoy, 1981). *''Carta a Fidel Castro'' (Madrid: Playor, 1983; Mexico: Diana, 1984; Europa, América, Portugal, 1984). *''Echecs et mythe'' (Paris: Payot, 1984; ''Mitos em Xeque'', Río de Janeiro: Globo, 1988). *''Introducción a Feliciano de Silva'' (Cátedra, col. Letras Hispánicas, 1986). *''El Greco'' (

, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1991; ''El Greco'', Barcelona: Destino, 1991; ''El Greco'', London: Calder and Boyars; New York:

–

, 1991; ''El Greco'', Milan: Spirali, 1991; ''El Greco: Le frénétique du spasme'', Paris: Flohic, 1991). *''Goya / Dalí'' (Milan: Spirali – Vel; Rome: Studio di Val Cervo, 1992). *''Fêtes et défaites sur l'échiquier'' (Paris: L'Archipel, 1992). *''Cartas a Baltazar'' (versión de F. Torres Monreal, 1993). *''Genios y figuras'' (preface by A. Berenguer, Espasa Calpe, 1993). *''Las manazas del Samaritano. Conversaciones con Ionesco'' (La Vuelta, nº 210, mayo, 1994). *''La dudosa luz del día'' (translated into Spanish from the original French with notes by F. Torres Monreal, Espasa Calpe, 1994). *''Carta al Rey de España'' (Madrid: Espasa Calpe, 1995). *''Un esclave nommé Cervantès'' (Paris: Plon, 1996; Un ''esclavo llamado Cervantes'', Madrid Espasa Calpe, 1996). *''Diccionario pánico'' (Bruxelles: Escritos, 1998). *''Lettre à Staline'' (Paris: Flammarion, 2004). *''Houellebecq!'' (Paris: Le cherche midi, 2005). *''El Pánico,'' Manifiesto para el tercer milenio, 2007. *''Diccionario pánico'', 2008. *''Universos arrabalescos'', 2009. *''Defensa de Kundera'', 2009.

Interest in chess

Arrabal has a strong interest in

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

and has attended many

chess tournament A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London 1851 chess tournament, London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard ...

s. He is close to American chess Grandmaster Gata Kamsky and advocated for Kamsky on his chess blog during Kamsky's negotiations with

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( , ), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the Spor ...

over a

World Chess Championship The World Chess Championship is played to determine the world champion in chess. The current world champion is Gukesh Dommaraju, who defeated the previous champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship 2024, 2024 World Chess Championship. ...

match.. For over thirty years, Arrabal has written a

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

on chess for the French weekly news magazine

. His columns have included, among many others: *''Echecs et mythes'' *''Fêtes et défaites sur l'échiquier'' *''Les échecs féériques et libertaires'' *''

Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Chess Champi ...

: el rey maldito''

References

External links

Arrabal's website
excerpts, articles, interviews, videos on Prague Writers' Festival website
Fernando Arrabal's Cinématon: a 4 minute online portrait by Gérard CourantChess Express Arrabal
(Arrabal's chess blog) *
Arrabal's page on La MaMa Archives Digital Collections
__FORCETOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Arrabal, Fernando 1932 births Living people People from Melilla 20th-century Spanish writers 20th-century Spanish male writers 21st-century Spanish writers Escapees from Spanish detention Spanish experimental filmmakers Recipients of the Legion of Honour Pataphysicians Spanish dramatists and playwrights Spanish male dramatists and playwrights Spanish escapees Spanish film directors Spanish novelists Spanish male novelists Spanish writers in French Spanish surrealist artists Spanish surrealist writers