Brecht and Epic Theatre Flashcards
1
Q
When and where did epic theatre originate?
A
- Germany, pre-, during and after WW2 (before 1939-after 1945)
2
Q
What is the world view of epic theatre?
A
- anti-war
- anti-materialism
- anti-capitalism
3
Q
What is the purpose of epic theatre?
A
- wants audience to be critically aware
- must be able to make changes in the present as a result of what they have seen
- didactic
4
Q
What are the themes in epic theatre?
A
- socio-political
- e.g. universal suffering in war; political parables
5
Q
What are the key features of epic theatre?
A
- verfremdungseffekt
- historification
6
Q
What is verfremdungseffekt?
A
- distancing technique
- deliberately reminding audience that they are in the theatre and should be reflectively critical of what they see
- numerous theatrical devices to achieve this
7
Q
What is historifications?
A
- displacing the subject from the present into the past
8
Q
What is the plot of an epic theatre play like?
A
- plot punctuated by narration and songs
- prologues, interludes, epilogues
- breaking the fourth wall
- didatic (intends to teach us something, a moral)
9
Q
What is the structure of an epic theatre play like?
A
- not necessarily linear
- episodic
- spanning/jumping between time and space
10
Q
What are characters like in epic theatre?
A
- comment on themselves
- may directly address audience
- may speak in third person
- presented or demonstrated to the audience
- use of gestus to demonstrate social function of character; masks, emphasis on ensemble
11
Q
How is music used in epic theatre?
A
- functional music
- not incidental
- songs comment on and punctuate action
- music used to juxtapose mood of a scene
- often consciously unmelodic
- music used to break audience’s empathy
12
Q
How is light and staging used in epic theatre?
A
- hard white light from visible source
- staging techniques visible
- projections (film and slides)
- titles used for scenes
- costumes & props made to look well-worn
- scene and costume changes could be done in full view of audience