epic theatre

CENTRAL PRINCIPLES OF EPIC THEATRE THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF BRECHT’S “THE STREET SCENE”

Bertolt Brecht

Brecht’s The Street Scene defined the new way of acting that was tried out in German theatres after the First World War, with qualities such as clear description and reporting and the use of choruses and projections as means of commentary as ‘epic’. The complex techniques of detaching oneself from the character used by the actors in epic theatre enabled the spectator to be more critical. However, the result of this experiment in theatre led to the emergence of the demand for a new aesthetics.

The model for epic theatre, as Brecht explained can be seen at any street corner; an eyewitness demonstrating to a collection of people how a traffic accident took place. This was what defined this new way of acting that entered the German theatre, detaching oneself from the character they play. Although critics questioned Brecht that how theatre can be found on the street as there are so many elements to theatre in this scientific age. To what Brecht replies that no matter what the element of street corner should not be missing, along with elements of theatre if they are a must. In the process, the one performing must not ‘become’ some and so the aesthetics becomes that of imperfection.

The central principles of epic theatre follow henceforth. The most important of it being that the effect of illusion must be excluded from the street scene. That what is acted out is a repeat of the what has already happened not what happened. In this sense, what we get is not the real experience but the idea of the experience. There is no need to instill and reproduce the same feeling, he is a demonstrator, challenging Aristotle in terms of no pure emotions must be evoked. The demonstrator’s purpose determines how thoroughly he should imitate.

Another element of the epic theatre is it deals with social issues. Our demonstrator should derive his character entirely from their actions and the compensation that it leads to. To the demonstrator the character of the man being demonstrated remains a quantity that need not be completely defined. This is peculiar to the epic theatre and is known as the A-effect (alienation effect), as explained it is a technique that enables the spectator to see a scene in a broader social and political respect.

The direct changeover from representation to commentary is another element that forms the central principle of epic theatre but while doing so fabrication is not what takes place. As there is no attempt to create the illusion that demonstrators are the ‘characters’ they are demonstrating, it won’t be right to use the word fabrication for explaining the make-up and/or the costume.

In conclusion, epic theatre draws from the primitive street corner theatre in terms of origins, aims and methods of its performance. But its most meaningful phenomenon with a clear social function dominates all its elements. Its origin lie in an incident that can be judged one way or another, that can be repeated in different forms. So, that judgement has some significance. “The epic theatre is a highly skilled theatre with complex contents and far-reaching social objectives”, as Brecht himself puts it.

Reference

1. Brecht, Bertolt. 1950. "The Street Scene: A Basic Model for an Epic Theatre." Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. Ed. and trans. John Willett. London: Methuen, 1964. ISBN 0-413-38800-X. pp. 121–129.

2. Gordon, Robert. 2017. "Brecht, interruptions, and epic theatre".

3. Brecht, Bertolt. 1964. Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. Ed. and trans. John Willett. British edition. London: Methuen. ISBN 0-413-38800-X. USA edition. New York: Hill and Wang. ISBN 0-8090-3100-0.

4. Brecht, Bertolt. 1965. The Messingkauf Dialogues. Trans. John Willett. Bertolt Brecht: Plays, Poetry, Prose Ser. London: Methuen, 1985. ISBN 0-413-38890-5.