1. Introduction to Brecht
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, made him a force to be reckoned with.
Although it is well documented Bertolt 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, 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, who demonstrated features of epic theatre in their performances.
Unlike Jerzy Grotowski, Brecht preferred to demonstrate his concepts in performances instead of acting exercises. Unlike Antonin 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, narrators, projection, placards, and actors directly addressing the audience.
2. Epic Theatre Theory
Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre represents a significant departure from the tradition of Realism, a style of theatre that he deeply loathed. Brecht argued that realistic theatre had a sedative effect on audiences, pacifying them rather than encouraging active critical engagement. In contrast, Brecht’s own theatrical works were highly didactic, aiming to provoke audiences to reflect critically on social issues and motivate them to take action in their lives beyond the theatre.
Brecht used the term Lehrstück (literally “learning-play”) to describe this pedagogical function, denoting plays that explicitly purposed to instruct. His theatre was fundamentally social and activist in nature, often asking audiences to challenge the structures in society they encountered, reinforcing his belief that theatre could be a vehicle for social change.
A turning point in Brecht’s work came in 1926 when he embraced Marxism. From that point onwards, his theatrical techniques evolved to serve his Marxist ideology, focusing on issues of class struggle, social inequality, and the material conditions of human life. He sought to illustrate the contradictions inherent in capitalist systems, believing that his theatre could inspire audiences to recognise these contradictions and seek revolutionary transformation.
One of Brecht’s central contributions to theatre theory was the development of the Verfremdungseffekt, commonly abbreviated as the V-effect or A-effect (from the English ‘alienation-effect’). This term has been misleadingly translated over the years as ‘distancing effect,’ though contemporary scholars prefer the more accurate translation of ‘estrangement’ or ‘making the familiar strange.’ The Verfremdungseffekt aimed to prevent the audience from becoming emotionally immersed in the play’s action, instead maintaining a critical distance and analysing the socio-political messages at play.
Brecht employed various non-realistic techniques to achieve this, including breaking the fourth wall, direct audience address, and exposing the mechanics of the stage (e.g., visible set changes, fragmented narratives). These devices reminded the audience that they were watching a performance rather than experiencing a seamless illusion.
The label ‘Epic Theatre’ is believed to have been inspired by the great epic poems of world literature, such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Mahabharata, and The Ramayana. However, it is widely accepted that the term was coined by Brecht’s German collaborator, Erwin Piscator, who was already using it in experimental theatre before Brecht popularized it.
The structure of Epic Theatre stands in stark contrast to conventional theatre forms. While traditional narratives tended to focus on a tight, compact plot set in a limited time and space, epic plays were expansive, often spanning multiple locations, vast timeframes, and larger socio-political themes. This structural openness supported Brecht’s desire to engage audiences with big, systemic questions rather than intimate, individual concerns.
Brecht’s influences were varied, including German Expressionism, with its bold, exaggerated portrayals of emotion and its focus on individuals’ internal experiences. He was also deeply influenced by the lively cabaret scene in 1920s Berlin, known for its satirical and politically charged performances, as well as its innovative use of music, song, and multi-modal performances. These elements found their way into his theatre, most notably in the use of gestus (a technique combining gesture and attitude) and songs that interrupted the action to offer commentary, underscoring the message rather than simply advancing the plot.
Overall, Brecht’s Epic Theatre critiques traditional forms, is grounded in Marxist ideology, designed to provoke critical engagement from its audience, and is underpinned by an array of non-realistic techniques. Through this form, Brecht sought to change both the theatrical experience and, more importantly, the world beyond the stage.
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Summary Points
3. Dramatic Form
Bertolt Brecht was a prolific playwright, penning over fifty plays, many of which are considered landmark works of 20th-century theatre, including Mother Courage and Her Children. Brecht’s approach to dramatic form was revolutionary, diverging significantly from traditional Aristotelian structures. He referred to individual scenes in his plays as episodes, each designed to stand independently, with its own internal logic. This episodic structure was fundamental to Brecht’s concept of Epic Theatre, where the plot often unfolded in a non-linear, fragmented manner.
The deliberate juxtaposition of episodes, each set in different locations and time frames, resulted in a montage effect. This technique disoriented audiences and disrupted any emotional identification with the characters or story. Instead of becoming absorbed in a continuous, emotionally cohesive plot, spectators were encouraged to think critically about the events presented to them. The non-linear structure also allowed Brecht to explore larger socio-political themes, enabling his plays to move across vast stretches of time and space, often incorporating historical settings.
Brecht’s company, the Berliner Ensemble, served as a laboratory to test and refine his theories on acting and theatrical form. The Ensemble was central to his work in developing a performance style that emphasized the social and political over the personal and psychological. Many of his plays were set in historical periods or focused on historical figures, such as Life of Galileo or Saint Joan of the Stockyards, but the focus was always on the society being presented, not the individual characters. These historical settings were not used for nostalgic or escapist purposes but were intended to draw clear parallels with contemporary political and social issues, a technique Brecht termed Historification (or more commonly today, Historicisation).
Brecht often employed multiple narrative devices, such as songs or direct audience address, to break the illusion of realism and further alienate the audience from emotional immersion. His plays typically lacked traditional act and scene divisions when first written; these were often added later. The fluid structure enabled Brecht to move between long, detailed episodes that told the story’s main events and shorter episodes, which he often referred to as parables. The shorter episodes frequently served a more symbolic or didactic function, designed to momentarily detach the audience emotionally and offer a direct lesson or commentary on the action.
Songs and music played a vital role in Brecht’s plays, often interrupting the action to offer reflective commentary or present alternative perspectives on the events unfolding. Far from advancing the plot, songs were used to break the emotional flow and remind audiences of the performance’s constructed nature. This technique contributed to Brecht’s aim of fostering a sense of Verfremdung (estrangement), compelling the audience to engage intellectually rather than emotionally.
Brecht’s plays are characterized by their critique of the Aristotelian unities of time, place, and action, which dictated that a play should occur in a single location, within a 24-hour period, and follow one cohesive plotline. Brecht rejected this model entirely, favouring sprawling narratives that spanned multiple times and locations. This allowed him to present broader societal critiques rather than intimate, character-driven dramas. The abandonment of the unities was fundamental to his desire to shift the focus from individual psychology to collective social forces.
Ultimately, Brecht’s dramatic form directly reflects his political and philosophical commitments. His plays are structured to provoke thought, challenge societal norms, and incite action. His radical reworking of dramatic form—through episodic structure, montage, parables, historicisation, and the use of song—was designed to transform passive spectators into active, critical participants, capable of analysing the social conditions presented on stage and applying those insights to the world outside the theatre.
Summary Points
The V-effect consists of turning the object of which one is to be made aware … from something ordinary, familiar, immediately accessible, into something peculiar, striking and unexpected.
Bertolt Brecht
4. Acting and Characterisation
In Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre, the conventions of acting and characterisation were radically transformed, diverging from the practice of Realism. Brecht rejected the notion of “becoming” the character, as he believed it fostered passive emotional identification in both actors and audiences, detracting from the critical, intellectual engagement he aimed to cultivate. Instead, Brecht instructed his actors to maintain a deliberate detachment from the characters they portrayed, demonstrating the character rather than fully inhabiting them, thus creating an analytical space between actor and role that encouraged critical reflection.
Brecht’s actors were expected to portray their characters with heightened awareness, constantly reminding the audience that they were witnessing a performance rather than an illusion of reality. This ‘demonstration’ approach frequently involved breaking the fourth wall, directly addressing the audience, and revealing the character’s constructed nature. By doing so, Brecht aimed to prevent the audience from becoming emotionally absorbed and to encourage critical reflection on the social and political messages presented.
Characters in Brecht’s plays were often intentionally simplified or stereotypical, representing broader social types or classes. For example, some characters were given generic titles, such as ‘The Worker,’ ‘The Peasant,’ or ‘The Teacher.’ These generic titles reflected Brecht’s desire to focus less on individual psychology and more on the roles individuals play within society and the class structures they are part of. By simplifying or stereotyping characters, Brecht aimed to highlight social and political dynamics rather than personal drama.
However, some characters – particularly historical or real-life figures, such as Galileo in The Life of Galileo – were more complex, embodying internal contradictions and offering the audience a subtle portrayal of ideological conflict. These more complex characters were often used to examine the tensions between individual agency and larger socio-political forces, reflecting Brecht’s Marxist critique of history and society.
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Brecht’s characters also frequently exhibited qualities that straddled both presentational and representational acting modes. In the presentational mode, actors directly addressed the audience and acknowledged the theatricality of their performance, serving as a constant reminder that what was being presented was a constructed narrative. This encouraged the audience to maintain a critical distance, analyzing the socio-political content rather than losing themselves in the narrative. In contrast, the representational mode, which involved a more conventional portrayal of characters’ emotions and behaviours, was used more sparingly in Brecht’s works and typically subverted to highlight its artificiality.
To enhance the effect of Verfremdung (estrangement or alienation), Brecht encouraged his actors to perform ‘gestus’, a term he used to describe the combination of physical gestures and attitudes that reveal a character’s social relations and ideological stance. Gestus was not simply about movement or body language but about how the actor’s behaviour on stage could make visible the social context and political meaning behind the character’s actions. By externalising the character’s socio-political function rather than focusing on internal emotional realism, Brecht’s actors used gestus to draw attention to class struggle, oppression, or contradictions in society.
In some cases, Brecht’s characters represented archetypal figures or emblematic social positions, but even in these instances, the actors were tasked with demonstrating the broader socioal forces at play. For example, in Mother Courage and Her Children, Mother Courage herself is a contradictory figure – both a victim and a profiteer of war. The actor portraying her must reveal the conflicting social and economic pressures on the character, presenting her actions not as the result of personal failings but as representative of larger capitalist structures.
Ultimately, acting and characterisation in Brecht’s Epic Theatre served a didactic purpose, designed to defamiliarise the audience emotionally and engage them intellectually. By maintaining distance from the character, actors highlighted the social and political underpinnings of their roles, using a blend of presentational and representational modes to reveal the constructed nature of the performance. Brecht’s emphasis on gestus, generic character types, and the demonstration of social forces over psychological realism reinforced his goal of creating a theatre that was not only a space for entertainment but a forum for critical reflection and social change.
Summary Points
It was the actor’s task to put himself at a distance from the character he was portraying and the situation he was involved with, in order to arouse a thinking, enquiring response in the spectator.
J. L. Styan
5. Movement and Gesture
In Brecht’s Epic Theatre, movement was a deliberate blend of realistic and non-realistic elements, serving both the narrative and the broader socio-political messages of the play. The movement on stage was carefully choreographed, sometimes displaying fluidity and elegance, while at other times being forceful, sharp, or even deliberately unnatural. This contrast between fluid and abrupt movement aligned with Brecht’s intention to break the illusion of reality and encourage the audience to critically analyze what they were watching, rather than becoming emotionally absorbed in it.
Brecht’s concept of gestus, derived from the Latin word for ‘gesture,’ referred to the combination of individual gestures and full-body postures that actors used to convey not just a character’s emotional state, but more importantly, their social attitude and relationships with others. Gestus went beyond conventional acting techniques to reflect the socio-political dynamics of the character, aligning closely with Brecht’s Marxist principles. Each movement or gesture was not merely expressive of personal emotion but was intended to expose the character’s social position, class, and their relationships within the structures of society. This idea of gestus linked the personal and physical to larger ideological forces, highlighting how human behavior is shaped by the socio-economic environment.
Brecht’s interest in gestus was influenced by his exposure to Eastern performance traditions, particularly Balinese dance, which he saw in 1930. He admired the precision and stylized nature of the movements, especially the way gestures in these performances carried symbolic weight. Some Oriental gestures, drawn from these performances, were incorporated into Brecht’s productions to further alienate the audience and create a heightened sense of theatricality. These gestures were often non-naturalistic, contrasting with Western notions of realism in movement, and helped to reinforce the estrangement effect by making the familiar appear strange.
The positioning and movement of groups of characters on stage were determined by functional and socio-political considerations, rather than purely aesthetic or naturalistic ones. Characters were often placed on stage in configurations that reflected their social relationships or class affiliations within the narrative, underscoring Brecht’s Marxist beliefs. For instance, workers might be grouped together on one side of the stage, while figures of authority occupied another, visually representing the division of classes and power structures. The arrangement of actors was designed to illuminate these social dynamics, ensuring that the relationships between characters were clearly communicated to the audience through spatial arrangements and physical positioning.
Movement in Brecht’s productions often broke away from the organic, natural flow expected in realistic theatre. Instead of using movement purely to enhance the emotional realism of a scene, Brecht’s actors might move in a stylized, exaggerated manner, reinforcing the performative nature of the theatre. This combination of realistic and non-realistic movement allowed for moments of natural expression, while also creating disruptions that served Brecht’s goal of estrangement. Actors would transition between graceful, flowing movements and more jarring, forceful gestures to continually remind the audience that they were watching a constructed performance, encouraging them to critically engage with the content.
Thus, Brecht’s movement vocabulary was integral to the overall aesthetic and ideological framework of Epic Theatre. By using gestus to reveal the socio-political relationships between characters, incorporating non-Western influences like Balinese dance, and positioning groups functionally on stage to represent class dynamics, Brecht’s choreography of movement served both an expressive and a critical function. It was a tool to reveal the underlying structures of power, class, and ideology, ensuring that the audience remained intellectually engaged and aware of the play’s political intent.
Summary Points
6. Space and the Actor-Audience Relationship
In Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre, the manipulation of space and the dynamic between the actor and audience were crucial elements in shaping the theatrical experience and subverting traditional realistic and naturalistic conventions. Although Brecht’s plays were often staged in traditional proscenium arch theatres, he deliberately challenged many of the formal aspects associated with this setting to encourage critical spectatorship rather than passive emotional engagement.
One notable modification was Brecht’s approach to the stage curtain. While conventional theatre relied on the curtain to separate the audience from the action and maintain the illusion of a self-contained world, Brecht frequently dispensed with it altogether, or used a half curtain instead of a full one. The absence of the curtain meant that the audience was constantly aware of the mechanics of the stage, even between scenes. This served to alienate the audience and prevent them from becoming fully immersed in the fictional reality of the play.
Brecht also preferred the term “spectators” over “audience,” reinforcing the idea that those watching were not passive recipients of entertainment but active, critical participants in the theatrical experience. His plays sought to engage spectators intellectually, encouraging them to reflect on the socio-political content rather than being drawn into emotional identification with characters or events.
One of Brecht’s most radical techniques for engaging with spectators was direct address, where actors or characters broke the so-called “fourth wall” – the invisible barrier separating the performers from the audience in conventional theatre. By directly addressing the spectators, actors crushed traditional conventions. Direct address served as a powerful device for creating Verfremdungseffekt (estrangement), as it disrupted the narrative flow, constantly reminding the spectators that they were watching a performance rather than experiencing a realistic or naturalistic portrayal of life. This technique not only created a more interactive relationship between actors and spectators but also reinforced the didactic nature of Brecht’s plays, urging the audience to consider the drama’s broader social, political, and economic implications.
In addition to direct address, narration was a frequent convention in Brechtian drama. Narrators in his plays often stood apart from the action, offering commentary or explanations that clarified the socio-political context of the story. The use of a narrator further distanced the spectators from the emotional elements of the narrative and invited them to reflect critically on the events being presented. Like direct address, narration broke the seamless illusion of realism and heightened the sense of theatricality. It also provided opportunities to deliver ideological messages directly, particularly Brecht’s Marxist critiques of capitalist society.
Furthermore, Brecht’s use of space and actor-audience dynamics was designed to challenge traditional notions of character development and emotional identification. By using techniques such as direct address and narration, Brecht’s plays encouraged spectators to view characters as social and political constructs, rather than as fully realised individuals. This approach allowed Brecht to critique the social and economic structures that shape human behaviour, rather than simply presenting a realistic or naturalistic portrayal of life.
Overall, the spatial dynamics and the actor-audience relationship in Brecht’s theatre were designed to challenge traditional theatrical forms and encourage critical spectatorship. By removing the stage curtain, breaking the fourth wall through direct address, and employing narration, Brecht sought to engage his spectators as active participants, prompting them to question the social and political structures portrayed on stage. These techniques helped to dismantle the illusion of realism and aligned with Brecht’s broader aim of using theatre as a tool for social critique and political awareness.
Summary Points
7. Stagecraft and Production
In Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre, stagecraft and production elements were deliberately stripped of illusionistic realism to serve the didactic and ideological aims of the play. The intention behind Brecht’s approach to stagecraft was to disrupt the audience’s emotional engagement, encouraging critical reflection on the social and political messages embedded in the performance. Every aspect of the production—costume, set, lighting, makeup, and music—was designed to maintain the spectator’s intellectual engagement.
Costume design in Brechtian theatre was deliberately non-individualistic, often representing a character’s role in society rather than their unique identity. For example, a farmer’s costume did not represent a specific individual but rather a typical farmer, embodying the role of such a figure within the broader social and economic structure. Costumes were frequently fragmentary or incomplete, such as a businessman represented solely by a tie and briefcase rather than a full suit. This fragmentary approach to costume further distanced the audience from emotional immersion and reinforced the socio-political significance of the character’s role or function in society.
Set design in Epic Theatre was similarly non-realistic. At times, sets were minimalist or fragmentary, with partial elements or symbolic objects standing in for an entire environment. For instance, a single object might represent many similar objects, leaving the audience to focus on the action and message rather than the illusion of a realistic setting. In other productions, the sets were heavily influenced by Vsevolod Meyerhold’s constructivist designs, incorporating industrial elements such as ramps, treadmills, and scaffolding to reflect the mechanisation of modern life and the dehumanising effects of capitalism.
Makeup and masks were used in an exaggerated and theatrical manner rather than to create realistic character appearances. Actors might wear grotesque or caricatured makeup, further distancing them from emotional realism and reinforcing their symbolic function within the narrative. Makeup and costume were designed to depict the character’s social role—whether worker, authority figure, or bourgeois elite—rather than their everyday appearance.
Signs and placards were another distinctive feature of Epic Theatre’s stagecraft. These were used to display information to the audience, often providing context, clarifying the setting, or conveying ideological messages. The use of text on stage, such as signs or projected images, was a direct challenge to the emotional immersion typical of traditional theatre, encouraging the audience to think critically about what they were seeing rather than becoming absorbed in the narrative.
Lighting was intentionally stark and utilitarian. Brecht favoured open white light, avoiding the use of coloured lighting that could evoke emotional responses. The choice of white light was intended to create a neutral environment that focused the audience’s attention on the play’s content rather than manipulating their feelings through visual effects. At times, Brecht would even leave the house lights on during the performance, symbolically breaking the divide between actors and spectators, creating a single, equally illuminated space where both could exist in mutual awareness.
Music and song played a crucial role in Brecht’s productions, but unlike in traditional theatre or musicals, music in Epic Theatre was used to neutralize rather than amplify emotion. Songs were often inserted into the narrative in the form of parables or interludes, offering commentary or critique on the action rather than advancing the plot or deepening character development. The purpose of music was to serve the intellectual and thematic goals of the play, not to intensify the emotional experience.
Overall, Brecht’s stagecraft and production methods were carefully designed to estrange the audience from traditional theatrical conventions, ensuring that spectators were always aware that they were watching a constructed performance. By stripping away the illusion of realism and using minimalist, industrial, and symbolic elements, Brecht emphasized the socio-political content of his plays and invited the audience to engage critically with the issues at hand. This rejection of emotional manipulation in favour of intellectual engagement was central to Brecht’s vision of Epic Theatre as a tool for social and political transformation.
this was really helpful my slime
[…] script is an enchanting example of the Brechtian epic theater, and I would be the first to fangirl from the rooftops — if it weren’t such a poor, poor […]
Excellent- Thank you very much
Thanks for the feedback, Trish! – Justin
Hi! This is a really informative article, but i was just wondering if you knew a bit about Brecht’s use of tableaux? I’m doing an assignment about Brecht and I’m not sure if he would just stop the action completely or if he would sometimes have one character moving in the scene with the other actors frozen! Thank you for your time!
Hi Luca, that’s a very specific question. Sorry, but I don’t have the answer to that one. – Justin
Thank you Justin, reading this article has been refreshing and it has helped me with my stage presentation
Excellent, Itohan! – Justin
Hi, I’m a research student and my subject is about Russian constructivism as an influence on the scenographic design of Bertolt Brecht, I want to quote you but I would also like to know where I get that information from please. Thank you!
Cynthia, this article was posted on 17 March, 2014. So, depending on your referencing system used in your research, it would be something like: Cash, J, 2014, Epic Theatre Conventions, date you accessed this page, thedramateacher.com/epic-theatre-conventions. Hope this helps!
Can you help me out a bit, I would love to cite your work so I can give credit to your ideas. I’m using some of the things you say as the foundation for one of my papers in university.
Thanks Kaylee. Just cite:
-web address: https://thedramateacher.com/epic-theatre-conventions
-author: Cash, Justin
-date you accessed the information (e.g. accessed 19 September, 2018)
..and you’re done!
great stuff, really informative and developed research 🙂
Thanks Archie!
Hi guys
Stumbled apon this site by accident. I’m starting to teach Caucasian Chalk Circle to my class this term.
I teach at an all boys school in South Africa
We are having similar debates here over use of alianation. I use enstrange or to make strange to remove or de familiarization never alienation.
Hi,
I also use ‘to make strange’. However, I find myself explaining the other terms as so many people use alienation and I want them to make the links.
Useful information. Keep it up.!
thanks, I am pleased read the acting mathod
Hi- what would you say the definition of epic theatre is? And the socio-political context??
i have the same question and can’t find the answer anywhere
“epic plays employed a large narrative (as opposed to a smaller plot), spanning many locations and time frames […] epic plays used non-linear, fractured plots, where the events of a single episode were not necessarily a result of the preceding one” (THIS ARTICLE).
This material is very useful as it will be a very handy tool for me as I teach courses in “Introduction to directing” and “Advanced acting”. I look forward to more of such.
How might you take a regular musical in America and make it more interesting by adding Brechtian touches to become more artistic? I already have expresisonism and heightened realism as a goal. (This site is thought provoking…) Thanks for y our info and support.
HI Elizabeth
Have you seen Hamilton. What do you think of it’s techniques?
I was unable to afford tickets to see Hamilton. Can you tell me if Hamilton employed Brechtian techniques?
Edward, Hamilton has not been to my country yet (Australia), so I can’t help you with this one. Maybe some other readers who have seen Hamilton can advise?
This was extremely helpful in aiding my project surrounding Brechtian theatre and practices. Thank you so much for posting this, it means a lot to have so much information at my disposal!
neeeeeed help!!!
what would you say Brechts theatrical influences would be?
Amber, German Expressionism of the 1910s and 20s and to a lesser extent, the German cabaret scene. Article on German Expressionism here on The Drama Teacher.
Hi there
Brecht was highly influenced by Marxism. This is because he believed in an equal society and during his times Capitalism was at the forefront. He believed that Capitalism could not provide for its people and wanted a more communist approach and that was marxism.
He was also influenced by Expressionism. However it wasn’t the whole expressionist movement but certain aspects of it listed below. Expressionism:
– abolished theatre conventions,characterisation, plot and structure
-Playwright represented thought, feelings and fate
-There was a poetic dialogue used which was sometimes non-sensical
– used unconnected scenes instead of a linear plot in the structure (influenced by the playwrights Georg Buchner and Frank Wedekind
However I must mention that in Brecht’s epic theatre, emotions were removed from expressionism
Erwin Piscator influenced Brecht in his semi-revolutionary theatre after world war one. He used themes that were against the government back then and turned them into skits and made songs, painted and drew posters. His goal was to re-educate and uplift the lower class/oppressed class. He used puppets, projections and screens and believe that art could not just be for art’s sake but should awaken social consciousness.
Elizabethan theatre practises
– a bare stage with the audience around it
-A narrator and entertainment
– personal issues and political being unravelled with changing scenes
Oriental theatre practises
– Verfremdung from chinese acting style
-Dispassionate Noh Plays
– revolving stage of Kabuki theatre from the Japanese
I hope that helps 🙂
I am student of theatre and performing Arts and I am happy for meet you because I have learnt a lots and I know brecht more better now. thank you sir
My pleasure, Auwal! Thank you for your feedback.
What techniques could i teach a class to make them get into brecht more ?
Bella, it sometimes depends on the age of the students, whether they have had some introduction to Brecht already, and how academic the group in question is? Generally, I have found students enjoy using placards/signs, narration, song with a message. Other students get into Brecht and Epic Theatre by using conventions such as speaking stage directions out loud (though in reality, Brecht’s actors probably only did this as a rehearsal technique), and swapping characters mid-scene. More sophisticated and older students get in to Brecht’s political and social background (Marxist beliefs) and how this affected his theatre, by looking at his use of gestus. Other students enjoy using projection in their practical studies of Brecht. I have found over the years one just has to tailor it to your students at the time.
Excellent! Glad it helped.
I’m currently studying for my mock exams and this is a brilliant resource thank you so much!!!1
Hi, thank you for the information. Is doubling (an actor plays 2 characters) a Brechtian technique? I doubt it but somebody told me it was so.Thank you.
Elizabeth, I teach this to my students as an epic theatre technique. – Justin
Thank you very much for your reply. There is any other place where you talk about it OR any other sources that I can check? thank you!
Wow tanks alot for em write ups..i want to knw did he(Brecht) Talked about anything on using of multimedia on stage?pls i need to knw in detail or if u can refrence me to any work fine.tanks
Migel, Brecht collaborated with fellow German theatre director Erwin Piscator on a well-known production of a work entitled The Good Soldier Schweik (1928) in which film projection was used on stage. It is believed that Brecht, in collaboration with Piscator, were two of the first directors to successfully use projection in the theatre. Whether this included sound as well, and therefore closer to “multimedia”, I do not know for sure. I believe the production used projection as scenery, cartoon film and real film (John Willett – scholar and author of books on Brecht). This information is a little tricky to find. Sorry my reply was late, but if still relevant I recommend searching books such as Brecht in Context, Brecht on Theatre, Brecht on Performance, Bertolt Brecht (Mumford) etc for more details, or searching .edu websites for web information through Google, plus utilising university libraries with academic resources on Brecht.
its more helpful to me…thanks..
A great resource that has helped me develop throughout the entire year. From my Solo performance to developing descriptive language for my Performance analysis, this resource has helped a lot.
Thanks!
Thanks Luke – Justin.
Hi Justin what do you mean used to emotionally detach the audience (marginally)?
Hi Kelly,
Shorter episodes (scenes) in some of Brecht’s plays contained parables, often communicated to the spectator (audience) through the use of song. The intention was to distance/detach the spectator emotionally by driving home the intellectual message of the play (often a Marxist one) in these scenes. ‘Marginal’ detachment is probably more my own opinion as to the level of effect on the spectator. – Justin
A fantastic resource, thank you for developing these pages. Expect a lot of hits from South Australia as I will be sharing this with my students as it is so clear and accessible.
Thanks Lynn. Spread the word in South Australia!
Fanks for dis, halp mi on mi asignement a lot. fanks agan
lol
much spell
What is it called when a performance does a breif overview of the play at the start…ie…in a short movment piece.. and therefore leaves the audience to then watch how it all took place, knowing already what took place? Does the techniqu have a name?
I am not sure, but if you find out, please let me know 🙂
Form of Foreshadowing
We should stop writing “alienation techniques” once for all. This is an outright wrong translation of Brecht’s term “Verfremdung”. “Verfremdung” does NOT have anything to do with “Entfremdung” (alienation). Not in the slightest. “Defamliarization” is the correct term. “Entfremdung” is a Marxist term that has nothing to do with theatre although one might be tempted to confuse these things because Brecht was a Marxist.
Well ariculated.Thank You so much guys!Kindly do the isms for me please.
Thank You
Zanele