Already in the late 1950s, the expression “theater of the absurd” became a catchy cliché. Martin Esslin writes about this on the first page of his book about new ways of theater. This fundamental work, published half a century ago and expanded in subsequent editions, is still relevant today. The theater of the absurd confronts a non-communicative world in which a person is cut off from traditional religious and metaphysical roots. Martin Esslin's work is scientific research and exciting reading, a classic of the genre. Translated into Russian for the first time, the book is intended for practitioners, theorists of literature and theater, students of the humanities, as well as anyone interested in contemporary art.