One of the most notable characteristics of absurdist theatre is its non-linear and fragmented narrative with no logical plot sequence, insignificant, one-dimensional characters, and inconsistent dialogues and actions. Absurdist plays defy traditional expectations of theatre by dismissing realism and conventional dramas, which have a clear beginning, middle, and end. The storytelling in absurdism happens through elements like repetitions, cliches, and the portrayal of mundane things from our everyday lives.

These characteristics of absurdist plays challenge their audience from being mere spectators and force them to be active participants in the play. It prompts a different mode of engagement on their part as they constantly try to find meaning and reason in the midst of all the absurdity. The setting of these plays is minimal and abstract, providing very few cues and context. The actions performed on stage are repetitive, exaggerated, and have no real purpose. Characters often take part in inconsequential and incomprehensible conversations. The absurdity of action is mirrored in the absurdity of language in these plays, and therefore no significant meaning emerges from them.

The cathartic effect that the audience derives from these plays, where there is no moral order, no purpose, and no sense of progress, is their continuous search for meaning and their drive to find rationality amidst the absurdity. 

The characters in absurdist plays lack the traditional character (personality) development. There is no arc, no good to bad, bad to good. The characters are often uni-dimensional and have no defined roles. Therefore, the audience’s encounter with characters and events that they do not fully comprehend makes it impossible for them to empathise with them, indulge in their aspirations, and resonate with the feelings of the characters in the play. 

These experiences encourage, or rather force, the audience to engage with theatre with an open mind and a willingness to accept ambiguity, absurdity, and irrationality.

The traditional role of the audience in meaning-making as a passive spectator is replaced by that of a more active one, which leads to multiple interpretations. This is done so meticulously in Ionesco’s play The Chairs where the stage is set in such a way that it extends to the audience (when characters address the ‘empty chairs’ it feels they are actually talking to the audience). These plays also invite the audience to participate in a philosophical exploration of one’s own existence and the limits of rationality.