What was Brecht known for?
He was a poet, playwright and theatre director. His most famous plays include Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and Her Children and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Brecht was a Marxist and made his theatre highly political. He wanted his theatre to spark an interest in his audiences’ perception of the world.
How did Brecht want his audience to react?
Brecht wanted to make his audience think. He realised that while we are laughing we are also thinking. Even if the message itself is serious Brecht realised that comedy could be an excellent way of engaging the audience and forcing them to think about issues. Spass was also an excellent way to break the tension.
Who taught Brecht Marxism?
The man who taught him the elements of Marxism in the late 1920s was Karl Korsch, an eminent Marxist theoretician who had been a Communist member of the Reichstag but had been expelled from the German Communist Party in 1926.
Who created epic theatre?
Bertolt Brecht
Epic theatre is now most often associated with the dramatic theory and practice evolved by the playwright-director Bertolt Brecht in Germany from the 1920s onward.
Who created epic Theatre?
Why did Bertolt Brecht do what he did?
Brecht was a Marxist and made his theatre highly political. He wanted his theatre to spark an interest in his audiences’ perception of the world. He did not want his audiences to sit passively and get lost in a show’s story, but to make them think and question the world they live in.
Why did actors come out of character in Brecht’s plays?
Actors Coming Out of Character: during moments of heightened drama, actors would come out of character to remind the spectator that they were watching a fiction play, Breaking the Fourth Wall: Brecht’s plays included the breaking of the wall between the audience and the actors.
How is Brecht’s music used in his work?
Some of Brecht’s work includes songs, music and dance. This helps to remind the audience that they are not watching real life. Sometimes the songs are juxtaposed ironically, with cheery upbeat music but with dark lyrics. Narration is used to remind the audience that they are watching a story.
How is Gestus used in the Brechtian method?
In Brecht’s case, gestures used by actors were almost always political. One of the most famous examples of gestus used is from Brecht’s play Mother Courage and Her Children. In a particular scene, Mother Courage expresses her emotional turmoil, not through words but by letting out a silent scream.