"Faust Is Dead" is Mark Ravenhill's second play about human existence; it is a dark, shocking, yet funny, meditative work that combines the philosophy of Michel Foucault with the archetype of the Faustian hero. The main character of the play is a popular philosopher; in an entertainment show, he announces the end of humanity and history, he is publicly condemned for this statement, so he finally decides to live a "simpler" life: he travels around America with the young son of an influential businessman, lives an intensely hedonistic life, questions its vanity and meaning. What does human progress mean to us today? Does modern man still dream of a "better" world, or does he dream of advertising headlines?
According to F. Fukuyama, man has lost the will to compete and is lost in an apathetic existence, where human progress is more of a mechanical idea served by the system than the starting point of the system itself. We are witnesses and participants in the end of the egoistic process of human development, divided and hostile to each other, bringing ourselves to the point of constant threat to our own existence. It is about the lethargy that has engulfed a person that M. Ravenhill's play also talks about: "A person is dead, you know. And progress. Progress too. And humanity. Yes, humanity is dead.”
Artūras Areima: "The most obvious meaning in today's world is revealed next to violence and extremism, so a more sensitive person, feeling unnecessary, tends to provoke himself and those around him, more aggressively to raise relevant, sharp ideological questions, but often instead of approval, he receives ridicule - most people choose to turn away from problems and simply enjoy life - joy and positivity are the most sought-after commodity in today's capitulating world."
