ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how André Breton's implicit ludic surrealist dramatic theory was gradually put into practice over a span of 30 years, in the form of staged 'mad love'. Roger Vitrac's The Mysteries of Love and Nanos Valaoritis's The Nightfall Hotel, quite apart from their thematic similarity that culminates in the treatment of 'mad love', are examined here jointly because of their shared modeling of Breton's concept of the surrealist dialogue-game. The short prologue of The Mysteries of Love, which has not received much attention to date, introduces the spectator to the surrealist principles that guide the play. The most obvious and immediate example is its version of the 'one into another' ludic technique, implemented here through the incorporation of a painting into the play, one artistic medium into another. 'One into another' is the ludic principle that guides both The Mysteries of Love and The Nightfall Hotel.
