Brecht and epic theatre
What are the origins of Brechtian/ epic theatre? When did it first appear? And what happened historically during this time (world war 2)
The playwright Bertolt Brecht was born in 1898 in the German town of Augsburg. After serving as a medical orderly in the First World War and appalled by the effects of the war, he went first to Munich and then to Berlin in pursuit of a career in the theatre. That period of his life came to an end in 1933 when the Nazis came to power in Germany. As an artist, Brecht was influenced by a diverse range of writers and practitioners including Chinese theatre and Karl Marx. The turmoil of the times through which Brecht lived gave him a strong political voice. The opposition he faced is testament to the fact that he had the courage to express his personal voice in the world of the theatre. He also had an original and inspired talent to bring out a dynamic theatrical style to express his views.
What were some of the characteristics of your genre?
Along with Constantin Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht was one of the two most influential figures of 20th century theatre and the most significant practitioner since World War II. Brecht’s theories for the stage, including his well-known epic theatre form and distancing techniques, made him a force to be reckoned with.Although it is well documented Brecht had a team of workers around him to ease the load, his creative output was nothing short of prolific. He was a theorist, poet, playwright of over fifty plays, an essayist, and above all a practitioner who painstakingly applied his theories to the works of one of the great theatre companies of the world, the Berliner Ensemble.Unlike Grotowski, Brecht preferred to demonstrate his concepts for epic theatre in performances instead of acting exercises. Unlike Artaud, Brecht’s ideas were concrete and translatable for actors for generations to come. A staunch Marxist, Brecht’s plays often had a political and social message for those viewing them. Accordingly, his works included songs that drummed home the message of the play, storytellers and narrators, projection, placards, and actors directly addressing the audience. he made it so it wasn't realistic and looked very staged to the audience
What theatrical conventions were used and also what techniques?
They would often use songs to put it in half way through the performance ,also used freeze frames and narrators, the use of signs If an actor starts each scene with a placard naming the scene or you have a board which is changed at the start of each scene this is showing that it is a show/play
What were the performance conditions of your genre?
brecht is very precise about props, they shouldn't be used unless they are vital to the story line one rehearsals became a process of testing hypotheses about the play and its production. What held the collective together and made the method workable was the story, or fable. All the elements of production were synthesized for telling this story in public. At some points the music conveyed the meaning, at other times the setting, or the actors, or the words did. Brecht often invited observers to the rehearsals in order to test the clarity of the story. The process of testing could continue into the performance period. When the company was satisfied that the staging was correct, the production was photographed and a Modellbuch was prepared with photographs set against the text to show the disposition of the stage at all times and to mark significant changes of position on the part of the actors.
.How did audiences feel watching your genre?
our audience was supposed to feel like they believed what was happening like it was realistic
Who were the playwrights/ practitioners involved in your genre?
Brecht is a playwright.
Mother courage and her children, Erwin Piscator, Vladimir Mayakovsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold
What plays were written?
The three penny opera
The Caucasian chalk circle
What influenced your genre?
Brecht was influenced by the world that Hitlers was in control of he was influenced by everything that happened in Germany. it effected his life so much he then bases is ideas on this.
How did your genre develop?
we use Brecht still because its such a famous style it helps in so many ways like inspiration for props and developing as a character especially true stories
