What did Brecht say about theatre?
Brecht believed classical approaches to theatre were escapist, and he was more interested in facts and reality rather than escapism. Epic theatre doesn’t attempt to lay down a tidy plot and story, but leaves issues unresolved, confronting the audience with sometimes uncomfortable questions.
What did Brecht mean by Epic Theater?
Echoing Marxist theories, the purpose of epic theater was to make the familiar unfamiliar as an invitation to the audience to rationally think about that which seems natural and turns the spectator into a “consciously critical observer” (Brecht, 91).
Did Brecht use physical theatre?
His plays often use physical theatre techniques like mime, exaggerated movement and improvisation. He believes that actors’ bodies should convey the story rather than relying on sets.
What did Brecht want the audience feel?
Brecht definitely wanted his audience to remain interested and engaged by the drama otherwise his message would be lost. It was emotional investment in the characters he aimed to avoid. His approach to theatre suits work which has a political, social or moral message.
How did Bertolt Brecht change theatre?
Brecht changed the rules of theatre, disrupting the sense of reality by distancing the actors and audiences from the events being portrayed, making things that should be familiar strange in order to make the audience think rather than simply accept, and using contradictions to create complex characters.
Who was the first theater critic?
Aristotle
Aristotle was the first, and is perhaps the greatest, theatre critic.
What are the two things that Brecht used to comment narration to the audience?
Devices using the ‘v’ effect
- Narration. Narration is used to remind the audience that what they’re watching is a presentation of a story.
- Coming out of role / third person narration. Commenting upon a character as an actor is a clear way of reminding the audience of theatricality.
- Speaking the stage directions.
How did Brecht change theatre?
What was Brecht famous for?
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatrical reformer whose epic theatre departed from the conventions of theatrical illusion and developed the drama as a social and ideological forum for leftist causes.
What was Bertolt Brecht famous for?