Epic theatre

another, that may repeat itself in different forms and is not finished but is bound to have consequences, so that’s this judgement has some significance”(Bertolt Brecht 5). The ultimate goal of Bertolt Brecht’s “Epic Theatre” is to portray a socially relevant event objectively in order to induce an audience’s objective thoughts about that critical topic. Brecht would be proud upon reading/listening to Anna Devere Smith’s dazzling Twilight Los Angeles, 1992(book and film) which proves to be brilliant works that function as a modern form of Brechtian theatre. Smith’s works attempt to humanize…

Using specific examples from Brecht’s methodology and plays you have seen discuss the influence that Berthold Brecht’s theories regarding production techniques have had on the theatre of today using examples from a play or plays you have seen. Berthold Brecht is the German born playwright, theatre director and father of “epic theatre” (Gradesaver.com, 2015). In this essay I will be observing how Brecht has influenced other playwrights over the years, to do this I have a play (The ballad of the…

Bernolt Brecht developed a new and modern theatre style in order to communicate socio-political issues as a purpose to learn. ‘’The main objective is to learn to think crudely. Crude thinking is the great one’s thinking’’ Brecht stated in one of his books. He achieves political and sociocultural awareness as a tool to encourage the spectators the possibility of change. This new theatre form, named Epic theatre contrasted the realistic ideology of other practitioners, such as Stanislavski who…

Interruption plays a significant role in contributing to the V-effect in Brechtian theatre. When there is a break in the dramatic action, this prevents the audience from becoming over-absorbed in the world of the play, allowing them to reflect and examine the issues presented. Poetry and song act as these interruptions in a great deal of Brecht’s work. According to Benjamin ‘like the pictures in a film, epic theatre moves in spurts. Its basic form is that of shock with which the single,…

Augusto Boal and Bertolt Brecht are two performance theorists who have two very different perspectives on theatre. Brecht used his experience of a Marxist to influence his idea of “epic theatre” to stir the will of action in its audience. Boal believed it to be detrimental for a play’s audience to have an emotional understanding of the characters and the effects the play have on said characters. I am curious about how the theories of Boal and Brecht apply to Tokyo Fish Story which was written by…

There is nothing mystical or magical about Brecht’s plays: everything is on view, and the audience never forgets they are in a theatre. Brecht likes relates his theatre to a sporting event. Sports fans are familiar with the rules of the games they watch, and will argue vociferously with the referees when they disagree with a call. As our notes about Brechtian technique on October 29th said, “Brechtian technique always refers to the combination of a particular stage technique with a political…

The first chapter of this paper is dedicated to the man without whom there would be no Epic theatre, and the theatrical group he founded. Bertolt Brecht was born on February 10, 1898 in Augsburg, Germany. He manifested his interest in literature at a young age, writing poetry and book reviews for local papers before he was 15. His flourishing career was interrupted by WWI in 1914. Brecht was lucky enough not to have been drafted into the war until the last few weeks, and he served as a medical…

Extended Response - Shakespeare INTRO William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are plays that share similar ideologies and representations despite them being a tragedy and a comedy respectively. The similarities are predominantly that of the father daughter relationship, as well as love, marriage and rebellion. Romeo and Juliet is a story about star crossed lovers whose families are feuding, with a plot line that focuses on Juliet and her father Capulet. A Midsummer…

who stated that theatre should have the goal of social change and that it is a place for social protest. First, I would like to define the words social change and why they are important to us. Social change is notable adjustment over time. For example, presenting a certain story about a specific thing aloud to an audience could have an influence on their views. These stories have the ability to encourage the ones sitting in the audience. Theatre has the ability to provide us with a challenge,…

As one of the most influential figures in theatre, Bertolt Brecht has stamped his legacy in the world theatre. His search for anew kind of theatre made his theatre a modern avant-garde whichhas left its traces in postmodern theatres. This paper tries toinvestigate Brecht’s epic theatre as a modern avant-garde and itsinfluence in postmodern theatre. His epic theatre was in fact a revoltagainst the main stream modern theatre in which Brecht openlydeclares that theatre should be ‘political.’…