Download Epic theatre and Brecht

Epic theatre and Brecht
German playwright, Bertolt Brecht's ideas are very influential. He wanted to make the audience think, and used a
range of devices to remind them that they were watching theatre and not real life.
Why is Brecht so important?
Bertolt Brecht was a theatre practitioner. He made and shaped theatre in a way that had a huge impact upon its
development. Many of his ideas were so revolutionary that they changed the theatrical landscape forever. Modern
theatre owes a lot to his methods.
When naturalistic theatre was at its height and acted as a mirror to what was happening in society, he decided to use
it as a force for change. He wanted to make his audience think and famously said that theatre audiences at that time
“hang up their brains with their hats in the cloakroom”.
In naturalistic or dramatic theatre the audience care about the lives of the characters onstage. They forget their own
lives for a while and escape into the lives of others. When an audience cries for a character or feels emotion through
the events happening to them it’s called catharsis.
Brecht was against cathartic theatre. He believed that while the audience believed in the action onstage and became
emotionally involved they lost the ability to think and to judge. He wanted his audiences to remain objective and
distant from emotional involvement so that they could make considered and rational judgements about any social
comment or issues in his work. To do this he used a range of theatrical devices or techniques so that the audience
were reminded throughout that they were watching theatre; a presentation of life, not real life itself. His kind of
theatre was called Epic theatre. He called the act of distancing the audience from emotional involvement the
verfremdungs effekt.
Devices using the 'v' effect
A theatrical device is a method or technique used onstage
which has an aim or purpose. The aim when using the 'v'
effect is to ensure that the audience are constantly
reminded that they’re watching a piece of theatre.
Narration
Narration is used to remind the audience that what they’re
watching is a presentation of a story. Sometimes the narrator will tell us what happens in the story before it has
happened. This is a good way of making sure that we don’t become emotionally involved in the action to come as we
already know the outcome.
Coming out of role / third person narration
Commenting upon a character as an actor is a clear way of reminding the audience of theatricality. For example,
midway through a heightened scene the action might break for the actor to comment upon their character in the
third person, ‘Darius felt his anger rise. He wasn’t being listened to and wanted revenge’, before returning to the
scene.
Speaking the stage directions
This device was used by Brecht more frequently in rehearsal than performance. It helps distance the actor from the
character they’re playing. It also reminds the audience that they’re watching a play and forces them to study the
actions of a character in objective detail.
Direct address
Stepping out of a scene to speak directly to the audience breaks the fourth wall and destroys any illusion of reality.
Using placards
A placard is a sign or additional piece of written information presented onstage. Using placards might be as simple as
holding up a card or banner. Multimedia or a PowerPoint slideshow can also be used for this effect.
Brechtian staging
Multi-roling
Multi-roling is when an actor plays more than one character onstage. The differences in character are marked by
changing voice, movement, gesture and body language but the audience can clearly see that the same actor has
taken on more than one role. This means the audience are more aware of the fact that they are watching a
presentation of events. Cross-sex casting is also possible in Epic theatre as we don’t need to suspend our disbelief.
Minimal set / costume / props
Set, costume and props are all kept simple and representational. Elaborate costumes might mean that the sense of
theatre, of pretending to be something else, was lost.
Brecht did believe in historicism (evoking a particular time in history) as a convention of verfremdungs effekt. Although
the stage setting was minimal, there was always a sense of authenticity to production elements apart from a little
sound and lighting. For example, Mother Courage’s cart in the National Theatre production is stocked full with
realistic props that Mother Courage would need for authenticity. The cart is the fifth member of the family according
to Brecht so there are examples of props being as important as characters in his plays.
Symbolic props
Often one item can be used in a variety of ways. A suitcase might become a desk, or a car door or a bomb.
Lighting
Brecht believed in keeping lighting simple as he didn’t want the production values to overshadow the message of the
work. He believed in using harsh white light as this illuminates the truth. However, many modern productions do use
lighting effects. The important thing is that the audience still see the theatre, so often they will see production
personnel, such as backstage crew, in action on the stage rather than hidden.
Epic theatre
The idea of objectivity and the absence of empathy developed into a concept of theatre that’s called Epic theatre, as
opposed to what Brecht referred to as Dramatic theatre.
Dramatic theatre has a plot or story. We go to the theatre expecting the plot to be laid out before us and all issues to
be resolved at the end. Epic theatre doesn’t attempt this neatness. The narrative starts and ends, leaving issues
unresolved, confronting the audience with questions about what they’ll do. Ideally Epic theatre will be an inspiration
to action whereas Brecht thought Dramatic theatre was entertainment. Dramatic theatre in his view should engage
the audience in an emotional experience only for their time in the theatre.
Scenes are episodic, which means they stand alone and are constructed in small chunks, rather than creating a
lengthy and slow build of tension. Dramatic theatre has a linear narrative which means its events happen in
chronological order. Epic theatre often has a fractured narrative that is non-linear and jumps about in time.
Epic theatre also shows an argument. It’s a clear political statement. The audience remains objective and watches
a montage or a series of scenes. Standing outside the action emotionally, the audience can study the story objectively
and should recognise social realities.