ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the breadth of the output and career of Arthur Kopit, a playwright that was emblematic of the Absurd tradition within American theater in the 1960s but whose career expanded beyond that style to encompass more traditional and commercial efforts as well. Running through Kopit’s work is a post-war anxiety about nuclear warfare and sudden annihilation, mixed with other postmodern concerns and tropes like gender identity, historiography, and the examination of consciousness through abstract lenses. Through plays like Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and You’re Feeling so Sad and other early absurd experiments, Kopit gave voice to the worries of his generation before planting his flag as a major figure in American theater with plays like Indians and Wings. His later work in musical theater reflects some of his earlier themes coupled with his wry sense of satire.
