It is not opium which makes me work but its absence, and in order for me to feel its absence it must from time to time be present.

The Theatre was extremely short-lived but was attended by an enormous range of European artists including André Gide Arthur Adamov and Paul Valéry. Current psychiatric literature describes Artaud as having schizophrenia with a clear psychotic break late in life and schizotypal symptoms throughout life. He also suffered from neuralgia stammering and severe bouts of clinical depression which was treated with the use of opium—resulting in a lifelong addiction.

For the Pescado Rabioso 1973 album see Artaud (album)
Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud better known as Antonin Artaud (4 September 1896 – 4 March 1948) was a French playwright poet actor and theatre director.