SIST Presents: A Dream Play by August Strindberg

 

A Dream Play
by August Strindberg

 

This surreal, expressionistic, and symbolic drama explores the joy, suffering and contradictions of human existence. The play unfolds like a dream, blending reality and fantasy, with fluid, disjointed scenes that shift unpredictably.

 

Although the true point of reference is the unseen dreamer, the central figure is Agnes, the daughter of the god Indra, who descends to Earth to experience human life and understand its hardships. Through her encounters with various archetypal characters—primarily the dreamer’s alter egos of The Officer, The Lawyer, and The Poet—she witnesses the pain, struggles, and fleeting joys of humanity. The play examines themes of love, duty, oppression, and existential despair, all while questioning the meaning of life and the nature of divine justice.

 

Strindberg’s experimental structure, with its dreamlike transitions and symbolic imagery, challenges traditional notions of time, space, and narrative. It is a deeply poetic and philosophical work, often seen as a precursor to modernist and absurdist theater. Ultimately, Agnes returns to the heavens, bringing with her a profound empathy for the human condition, leaving audiences with a sense of both resignation and hope.