Brecht S Work Is Best Understood In Its Context His Methods Cannot Be Successfully Applied Today
Brecht’s work is best understood in its context: his methods cannot be successfully applied today. Discuss.
Bertolt Brecht has become universally known as one of the founding fathers of the Epic Theatre conventions. Erwin Piscator originally coined the term in his first year as the director of Berlin’s Volksbuhne and it arose in the mid twentieth century by theatrical practitioners as an artistic response to the political climate of the time and providing a critical perspective on what they perceived as social and political injustice, and as a consequence they developed what was considered a new form of political theatre. The conventions of epic theatre revolve around the form of the plays, constructing large narratives that play across expanse locations and time periods. The non-linearity of the narratives creates fractured plot lines where the action on stage may not be a direct result of the action before it. In the original texts Brecht did not employ the use of scene or act divisions; the dividing of action into specific scenes were later additions.
One of the most prominent techniques Brecht worked into his plays was “Verfremdungseffekt” – the alienation or detachment of the audience from the action and characters. The intention behind this was to create a focus on the political and social messages Brecht aimed to convey, rather than the audience becoming emotionally invested in the well being of the characters as “the art of epic theatre consists in arousing astonishment rather than empathy.”1 Brecht’s political and social motivations were that of a fervent communist and Marxist supporter, he wanted to “take the principle that it was not just a matter of interpreting the world, but of changing it and apply that to theatre.2” Though never a member of the Communist party itself, Brecht was educated in the Marxist ideals by Karl Korsch, which heavily influenced his theory and practice. He was influenced to such a degree that it resulted in Brecht leaving
Bertolt Brecht has become universally known as one of the founding fathers of the Epic Theatre conventions. Erwin Piscator originally coined the term in his first year as the director of Berlin’s Volksbuhne and it arose in the mid twentieth century by theatrical practitioners as an artistic response to the political climate of the time and providing a critical perspective on what they perceived as social and political injustice, and as a consequence they developed what was considered a new form of political theatre. The conventions of epic theatre revolve around the form of the plays, constructing large narratives that play across expanse locations and time periods. The non-linearity of the narratives creates fractured plot lines where the action on stage may not be a direct result of the action before it. In the original texts Brecht did not employ the use of scene or act divisions; the dividing of action into specific scenes were later additions.
One of the most prominent techniques Brecht worked into his plays was “Verfremdungseffekt” – the alienation or detachment of the audience from the action and characters. The intention behind this was to create a focus on the political and social messages Brecht aimed to convey, rather than the audience becoming emotionally invested in the well being of the characters as “the art of epic theatre consists in arousing astonishment rather than empathy.”1 Brecht’s political and social motivations were that of a fervent communist and Marxist supporter, he wanted to “take the principle that it was not just a matter of interpreting the world, but of changing it and apply that to theatre.2” Though never a member of the Communist party itself, Brecht was educated in the Marxist ideals by Karl Korsch, which heavily influenced his theory and practice. He was influenced to such a degree that it resulted in Brecht leaving
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