Here is a glossary of fifty of the most essential terms, people, concepts, organisations, plays, and techniques associated with Epic Theatre. From direct address and episodic structure to the Berliner Ensemble and montage, this customised Epic Theatre glossary should prove helpful for students and teachers.
Epic theatre Glossary
Alienation Effect
A technique developed by Bertolt Brecht intended to prevent the audience from becoming emotionally involved with the characters and narrative. The more recently accepted translation of the term in English is “defamiliarisation” or “to make the familiar, strange’. By creating a critical distance, the audience is encouraged to reflect upon the themes and messages presented, promoting an analytical viewing experience. Methods include breaking the fourth wall, direct address, and the use of songs or projections. See Verfremdungseffekt.
Anti-illusionism
A theatrical approach that rejects the creation of a realistic illusion on stage. It aims to remind the audience that they are watching a performance, thereby encouraging critical engagement rather than emotional immersion. Techniques include exposed lighting, visible stage mechanics, and actors acknowledging the audience.
Aristotelian Theatre
A traditional form of theatre based on the principles outlined by Aristotle in his work “Poetics.” It emphasises the unity of time, place, and action, and aims to evoke catharsis through emotional identification with characters. Epic Theatre contrasts with Aristotelian Theatre by rejecting these unities and focusing on critical detachment.
Avant-garde
An innovative movement in the arts that challenges established norms and conventions. In theatre, avant-garde practitioners experiment with new forms, structures, and content to provoke thought and question traditional aesthetics. Epic Theatre emerged partly from avant-garde impulses to revolutionise theatrical practice.
Berliner Ensemble
A theatre company founded in 1949 by Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel in East Berlin. It became a central institution for the development and presentation of Epic Theatre. Housed in the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, the Berliner Ensemble gained international recognition for its innovative productions and ensemble work.
Breaking Character
A technique where actors step out of their roles to address the audience or comment on the action. In Epic Theatre, breaking character serves to disrupt the illusion of reality, reminding the audience that they are watching a constructed performance and encouraging critical analysis.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
A theatrical device where performers acknowledge or interact directly with the audience, effectively dismantling the imaginary “wall” that separates them. This technique is used in Epic Theatre to prevent passive viewing and stimulate active engagement with the play’s themes.
Brecht, Bertolt
A German playwright, theatre director, and theorist who pioneered Epic Theatre. Brecht sought to transform theatre into a medium for social and political critique, employing techniques such as the alienation effect, historification, and non-linear narratives to provoke audience reflection.
Caucasian Chalk Circle, The
A play by Bertolt Brecht, first performed in 1948. The narrative, set in the Caucasus Mountains, explores themes of justice, ownership, and motherhood through a parable structure. Employing Epic Theatre techniques, the play uses songs, narration, and episodic scenes to encourage critical reflection on moral and social issues.
Communism
A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society and the communal ownership of production means. Influential in shaping Brecht’s Marxist perspectives, communism underpins much of the thematic content in Epic Theatre, promoting critical examination of capitalist structures and social inequalities.
Constructivism
An artistic and architectural philosophy originating in Russia in the early 20th century, characterised by an emphasis on functional design and abstract geometric forms. In theatre, Constructivist principles influenced stage design by focusing on utility and rejecting decorative elements, aligning with the minimalist aesthetics of Epic Theatre.
Demonstration of Role
A deliberate acting technique in Epic Theatre, in which actors demonstrate characters’ actions and attitudes rather than fully embodying them. This approach involves a degree of detachment, encouraging audiences to observe critically rather than empathise emotionally.
Dessau, Paul
A German composer who collaborated with Bertolt Brecht on several projects, including the music for “Mother Courage and Her Children” and “The Good Person of Szechwan.” His compositions complemented Brecht’s Epic Theatre by reinforcing themes and contributing to the alienation effect.
Dialectical Theatre
A form of theatre that employs dialectical methods derived from Marxist philosophy, focusing on the conflict of ideas to reveal social and political truths. Brecht’s Epic Theatre utilises dialectical approaches to encourage audiences to analyse contradictions within the play and reflect on social issues.
Didacticism
An instructional approach in art and literature aimed at conveying moral, social, or political lessons. Epic Theatre incorporates didactic elements to educate the audience and stimulate critical thinking, often through direct address, songs, and explicit thematic content.
Direct Address
A technique where actors speak directly to the audience, breaking character and interrupting the narrative flow. In Epic Theatre, direct address is used to prevent emotional immersion and encourage spectators to consider the underlying messages of the performance.
Dramatic Theatre
See Aristotlean Theatre.
Emblematic Props
Simple, symbolic objects used on stage to represent larger concepts or settings without elaborate realism. In Epic Theatre, emblematic props contribute to anti-illusionist staging by highlighting the artificiality of the performance and focusing attention on thematic content.
Epic Theatre
A theatrical movement developed by Bertolt Brecht, characterised by techniques designed to prevent the audience’s emotional identification with characters and promote critical detachment. Epic Theatre aims to present social and political issues in a way that encourages analysis and inspires change.
Episodic Structure
A narrative form consisting of loosely connected scenes or episodes rather than a continuous plot. Epic Theatre often employs episodic structures to disrupt conventional storytelling, allowing each scene to stand independently and highlight different aspects of the play’s themes. See Non-linear Narrative.
Expressionism
An artistic movement that emerged in the early 20th century focusing on representing emotional experiences rather than physical reality. Expressionism influenced Epic Theatre by encouraging abstraction and non-realistic approaches to performance and staging.
Exposing Theatrical Mechanics
A technique where the technical elements of theatre—such as lighting, stagehands, and set changes—are made visible to the audience. Exposing these mechanics reminds viewers of the performance’s constructed nature, promoting critical engagement.
Fear and Misery of the Third Reich
A play by Bertolt Brecht consisting of a series of short scenes depicting life under Nazi rule in Germany. Through episodic structure and Epic Theatre techniques, the play exposes the pervasive climate of fear and aims to provoke critical reflection on the nature of totalitarianism.
Fourth Wall
The conceptual barrier between performers and the audience in traditional theatre. Epic Theatre intentionally breaks the fourth wall to disrupt passive viewing and encourage active critical engagement with the performance.
Galileo, The Life of
A play by Bertolt Brecht depicting the life of astronomer Galileo Galilei and his conflict with the Catholic Church. The work examines themes of science, authority, and ethics. Epic Theatre techniques such as historification and episodic structure are employed to encourage audiences to reflect on the relationship between knowledge and power.
Gestus
Pronounced ‘guest-oos’. A term coined by Bertolt Brecht to describe a combination of physical gesture and social attitude. In Epic Theatre, gestus is used by actors to reveal the social relationships and contradictions inherent in their characters, serving as a tool for conveying thematic content.
Good Person of Szechwan, The
A play by Bertolt Brecht that explores themes of morality, capitalism, and human nature. The story follows Shen Te, a kind-hearted woman struggling to maintain her goodness in a corrupt society. Epic Theatre techniques, such as the alienation effect and songs, are employed to provoke audience reflection.
Historicisation
A more recent variant of the long-accepted term Historification, below.
Historification
A technique in Epic Theatre where historical events are presented to draw parallels with contemporary issues. By setting stories in different times or places, Brecht aimed to provide critical distance and encourage audiences to reflect on the relevance of the themes to their own context.
Lehrstück (Learning Play)
German for “learning play,” a form of didactic drama developed by Bertolt Brecht intended for performance without the need for an audience. Lehrstücke (pl.) focus on the educational experience of the performers, exploring social and political themes through participatory enactment.
Marxism
A socio-economic theory, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, advocating for the analysis of class relations and social conflict. Marxist philosophy heavily influenced Brecht’s development of Epic Theatre, providing a framework for critiquing capitalist societies in several of his plays.
Measures Taken, The
A Lehrstück by Bertolt Brecht examining revolutionary ethics through the story of four agitators in China. The play employs Epic Theatre techniques such as songs, narration, and direct address to engage the audience intellectually.
Meyerhold, Vsevolod
A Russian and Soviet theatre director and producer known for his avant-garde and experimental approaches to theatre. Meyerhold’s techniques, such as biomechanics and constructivist staging, influenced Brecht’s development of Epic Theatre by demonstrating alternative methods of performance and production.
Montage
A technique involving the assembly of disparate elements to create new meaning. In Epic Theatre, montage is used to juxtapose scenes, ideas, or images, prompting the audience to draw connections and think critically about the themes presented.
Mother Courage and Her Children
A play by Bertolt Brecht written in 1939. Set during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), it follows the canteen woman Mother Courage as she profits from the war while losing her children to it. The play utilises Epic Theatre conventions to critique war and capitalism, encouraging the audience to reflect on the consequences of conflict.
Narration
The use of a narrator or narrative devices within a play to provide commentary or context. In Epic Theatre, narration serves to interrupt the action and guide the audience’s understanding, reinforcing the didactic purpose of the performance.
Naturalism
A movement in theatre and literature aiming to depict life accurately and objectively, often focusing on everyday subjects. Epic Theatre diverges from Naturalism by rejecting realistic representation in favour of techniques that highlight the constructed nature of the performance.
Neher, Caspar
A German stage designer and close collaborator with Bertolt Brecht. Neher’s minimalist and symbolic set designs were integral to Epic Theatre, supporting its anti-illusionist aesthetic and reinforcing thematic elements.
Non-linear Narrative
A storytelling method that does not follow a chronological sequence. Epic Theatre often employs non-linear narratives to disrupt audience expectations and encourage critical engagement with the material. See Episodic Structure.
Piscator, Erwin
A German theatre director and producer who was a pioneer of Political Theatre. Piscator’s innovations in staging and use of multimedia elements influenced Brecht’s development of Epic Theatre, particularly in using theatre as a tool for social commentary.
Placards
Printed or written signs displayed on stage to convey information, context, or thematic messages directly to the audience. In Epic Theatre, placards are used to interrupt the narrative and provide critical commentary, reinforcing the alienation effect.
Political Theatre
A genre of theatre that focuses on political, social, and economic issues, aiming to provoke thought and inspire action. Epic Theatre is a form of political theatre that employs specific techniques to foreground issues of class, power, and injustice. See Erwin Piscator.
Projection
The use of projected images, text, or videos during a performance. In Epic Theatre, projections serve to provide context, comment on the action, or present additional information, thereby breaking the illusion of reality and encouraging critical engagement.
Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, The
A play by Bertolt Brecht written in 1941, satirising Adolf Hitler’s ascent to power through the allegory of a Chicago gangster’s rise in the cauliflower trade. The play employs Epic Theatre techniques to critique fascism and highlight the dangers of political manipulation.
Spass
A German word meaning “fun” or “amusement.” In Epic Theatre, spass refers to the use of humour and entertainment to engage the audience while simultaneously conveying serious themes, helping to maintain critical detachment.
Street Scene, The
A metaphor used by Bertolt Brecht to explain the demonstrative nature of Epic Theatre. He compared the theatre performance to a witness recounting a street accident, emphasising objective presentation and encouraging the audience to draw their own conclusions.
Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm
A theatre in Berlin that became the home of the Berliner Ensemble in 1954. The venue is historically significant for hosting many of Brecht’s productions and being a central location for the development of Epic Theatre.
Threepenny Opera, The
A musical play by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill, first performed in 1928. The work is a critique of capitalist society, blending elements of opera and popular music. It employs Epic Theatre techniques such as songs that comment on the action and characters who break the fourth wall.
Verfremdungseffekt
German for “alienation effect,” a key concept in Epic Theatre. Developed by Bertolt Brecht, it involves techniques designed to prevent the audience from becoming emotionally absorbed in the play, instead encouraging critical observation. The more recently accepted translation of the term into English is “defamiliarisation” or “to make the familiar, strange’. See Alienation Effect.
Weigel, Helene
An Austrian actress and the wife of Bertolt Brecht. She was a leading figure in the Berliner Ensemble and played pivotal roles in many of Brecht’s plays, exemplifying the acting techniques of Epic Theatre.
Weill, Kurt
A German composer who collaborated with Bertolt Brecht on several significant works, including “The Threepenny Opera” and “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.” Weill’s music played a crucial role in Epic Theatre, often serving to underscore thematic content and disrupt narrative flow.
Weimar Republic
The German federal republic established in 1919, lasting until 1933. The social and political climate of the Weimar Republic influenced Brecht’s work, providing a context for the themes of economic instability and political upheaval explored in Epic Theatre.
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