An early absurdist one-act play by William Saroyan, "The Hungerers" is an American fable reflecting on the hardships of the Depression, the invincibility of the human spirit and the enduring power of art.
Presented by the William Saroyan Society
Directed by Zoë Smurr, M.F.A.
Almost a century after its publication and premiere, Saroyan's sentiments in "The Hungerers" still ring true—and with renewed resonance—as the United States navigates an era of economic instability rivaling that of the Great Depression. Saroyan's early work especially explores and laments the fate of the proletarian avant-garde artist—a persona with which he identified greatly.
In the play's introduction, Saroyan writes: "The hunger of these hungerers is not a hunger for bread alone, although that hunger is beautiful enough. It is a hunger for immortality. The simple immortality which comes about when human beings rid themselves of all world imposed absurdities and know the foolishness of pride."
The William Saroyan Society is a non-profit, public service organization in Fresno, California, home of the Pulitzer prize-winning author and playwright William Saroyan. We are dedicated to promoting the life, times and literary works of William Saroyan, while educating the public about the human values depicted in his writing.
For more information, visit williamsaroyansociety.org