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Theatre presentation
Epic theatre was designed to incite rational thought rather than create an illusion. It used techniques like the alienation effect to remind audiences they were watching a play. Epic plays by Bertolt Brecht followed familiar stories from different viewpoints to prevent sympathy for characters. Epic actors were narrators who demonstrated actions rather than emoting. The goal was to show experiences rather than feelings. Brecht's stage presented topics for discussion and did not hide theatrical elements to remind viewers it was fake. He wanted a relaxed audience interested in being entertained and thinking.
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Theatre presentation
- 1. Epic TheatreTheatre thatis designed to incite rational thought instead of creating an illusion.
- 2. Contributors Erwin Piscator:director and producer, came up with the nameBertolt Brecht: he was the one who perfected the style of epic theatre
- 3. The Alienation EffectTheAlienation Effect was a major part of Epic TheatreThe goal was to make sure that the audience was aware that they are watching a play the whole time, so every familiar thing that was in the play was done differently to make it look strange.
- 4. The Epic PlayTheEpic Play follows a familiar story like a fable or shows historical eventsBrecht wanted to make to play unsensational by taking away any attraction-grabbing ‘wrapping' that an original story may haveThe form is episodicThe plays consists of scenes that stand aloneThere were musical interludes, captions, or gestures in between the scenes so the audience could reflect on what they just saw and prevent the deception of reality
- 5. The Epic Play(cont.)Brecht’s plays were able to stand alone.Brecht wanted to show the story from many different viewpoints.Brecht compared it to 10 people witnessing the same car crash because the story will be retold differently because each person saw it from a different angleThe characters in the epic play represent humankind, so the audience will not have sympathy for them
- 6. The Epic ActorEpicactors are narrators and demonstrators.They retell events and demonstrate actions and events that assist in the audience’s understanding of the situation.Brecht wanted his actors to portray another’s emotions feelings and experiences.In order to do this Brecht used a technique called Gestus, which is a gesture or position that an actor would take at critical points of the play
- 7. The Epic Actor(cont.)The action in the play would stop and the audience will see the character’s feeling at that timeThe well known Gestus is in Mother Courage when Mother Courage looks at the audience with her face positioned in a silent scream
- 8. The Epic StageBrechtthought that the Epic Stage was a place for discussionA social or politically relevant topic was presented on stage and the opinion on that topic was presented.The audience is supposed to think about what they just saw by forming questions or solutionsBrecht did not hide any of the theatrical elements that are used in the production
- 9. The Epic Stage(cont.)The audience saw changes in lighting, scenery, costumes, and acting style projections Brecht wanted to remind the audience that everything that they are watching is fake.Brecht wanted to change the scale of the props used and use them out of context.For example using a building as a prop in one scene, and in the next scene flipping the building over and using it as a table.
- 10. The Epic AudienceTheaudience that Brecht wanted to appeal to was a relaxed audience, one that is interested, want to be entertained, and want to think.
- 11. Contrast Dramatic Theatreand Epic TheatreDramatic Form of TheaterEpic Form of Theaterthe stage embodies an eventdraws the spectator into an eventconsumes his capacity for actionallows him to have emotionsprovides him with experiencethe spectator is drawn into the plotsuggestion is usedfeelings are preservedman is assumed to be knownman is unalterablesuspense about the outcomeone scene exists for anotherlinear developmentthe world as it iswhat man ought to dohis instinctsthinking determines beingthe stage narrates an eventmakes him an observer, but...awakens his capacity for actiondemands decisions from himprovides him with knowledgethe spectator is placed opposite the plotarguments are usedfeelings are propelled into perceptionsman is the object of the inquiryman is alterable and alteringsuspense about the progresseach scene exists for itselfin curvesthe world as it becomeswhat man is forced to dohis motivationssocial being determines thinking
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