final brecht presentation

8/10/2019 Final Brecht Presentation

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Director, Playwright, Theorist


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Early Life Bertolt Brecht was born on February 10, 1898 in Augsburg, Bavaria, under

the reign of the German Empire. His early familiarity with the Bible remained a strong influence within his

writing.

Brechts mother was the inspiration for the dangerous image of a self-denying woman that became a recurring theme in many of his plays. He registered for medical courses at Munich University, and began

attending drama courses taught by Arthur Kutscher, who introducedBrecht to Frank Wedekind.

He began writing for newspapers as a theater critic.

He was an orderly in a military clinic during WWI, which ended a monthafter his draft. Brecht was drawn into the political cabaret performances of the Munich

comedian Karl Valentin. His chief influences were Charlie Chaplin, Karl Valentin, Frank Wedekind,

and Georg Bchner.


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Success as a Playwright Brecht wrote his first full-length play, Baal, in response

to an argument he had with his teacher at MunichUniversity.

This was the first of many plays Brecht wrote as adesire to counter another work (his own, as well asothers)

At the age of 24 Brecht won the prestigious KleistPrize for Baal, Drums in the Night, andIn the Jungle


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Brecht: All Theater Is Political Every character exists inside social relations and

structures of power

Every narrative has an ideological perspective Some plays are critical of the status quo

Others do not question the status quo

Bothof these acts are political

Political theatre = Plays that encourage politicalchange or action


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Edward II/Creation of Epic Theatre In 1924, Brecht began to collaborate with Lion Feuchtwanger on Christopher

Marlowes Edward II. Through this production, he created the concept of Epic Theater, a theatrical

movement that requires the use of various lighting and stage effects (i.e. soundeffects, projections, etc.) in a production to create an epic, yet theatrical

performance. The goal of epic theatre is for the audience to be aware that they are watching a

play, similar to the goal of Metatheatre. The intention was to counter Stanislavskis naturalistic approach to theatre, as

he felt it encouraged escapism. AntoninArtaudsTheater of Cruelty and surrealism helped inspire the political

and social focus of Epic theatre. Verfremdungseffekt- Alienation Effect; Technique that makes audience feeldetached from the play (i.e. role-doubling, lighting, fourth wall)

"It is most important that one of the main features of the ordinary theatreshould be excluded from [epic theatre]: the engendering of illusion.

Ian McKellen in Edward II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JPWrTvgVfM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JPWrTvgVfMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JPWrTvgVfM


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Gestus The embodiment of an attitude; two distinct

meanings:

1st: the uncovering or revealing of the motivations andtransactions that underpin a dramatic exchangebetween the characters;

2nd: the "epic" narration of that character by the actor(whether explicitly or implicitly).


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AchievementsAt the age of 24 Brecht won the prestigious Kleist

Prize for Baal, Drums in the Night, andIn the Jungle

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics in 1970 forRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.


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Works Baal

Man Equals Man

The Threepenny Opera Life of Galileo

Mother Courage and Her Children

The Good Person of Szechwan

The Caucasian Chalk Circle

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui


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Impact Bertolt Brechts work can be seen in various forms of

theater that have been critically acclaimed: Tony KushnersAngels In America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DsIHFCNpAo

Caryl Churchills Cloud 9 Gender/Race-Reversal

"The artist represents himself. Thus, if he is representing a

cloud, perhaps, showing it's unexpected appearance, it'ssoft and strong growth, it's rapid yet gradualtransformation, he will occasionally look to the audience tosay: isn't it just like that?"

final brecht presentation

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