Woyzeck Context Flashcards
When was German Expressionism?
1912-1921
When was the first performance of Woyzeck?
1913
Where was the first performance of Woyzeck?
The Residenztheater in Munich
What was the staging of the first performance of Woyzeck?
Proscenium arch
What was the name of the first director?
Max Reindhart
What year did Buchner write the political pamphlet ‘The Hessian Courier’?
1834
In what year did Buchner join an underground radical political group?
1834
What was the name of the political group Buchner joined? What were their aims?
Society for The Rights Of Man, they aimed to reform the Hessian government and social structure.
What kind of stage did the OG production have?
a revolving stage
What kind of atmosphere did expressionist theatre create?
Dreamlike and surreal
Nightmarish, eerie
Appeal to the audience’s emotions
Closely linked to the play’s theme or message
What approach to characterisation did expressionism take?
Characters were stripped of their individuality and reduced to abstract personifications embodying a particular viewpoint. They exist as symbols rather than people.
What was diaologue like in expressionism?
Fragmented
Rapid, breathless speech
Dialogue disconnected with actor’s movement and gesture
Unusually long pauses
In expressionism characters could be representative of what?
States of mind and therefore could not be played realistically
What was the structure of expressionist theatre like?
Short static scenes, not casually linked
Disjointed
Episodic
What was the Carlsbad Decree of 1819?
A set of restrictions put in place by the government:
Censorship of the press
Surveillance of universities
Ban of student groups
Occupational ban for liberal and national proffessors
What did the Carlsbad Decree lead to?
Restrictions on cultural and political activities
Intensified restoration of the old monarchic system
Liberal and national movements going underground
German population wanting freedom
Who was Johann Woyzeck?
A man who murdered his wife, stabbing her 7 times in a jealous rage.
When did Johann Woyzeck go on trial?
In 1821, it gained a lot of attention and lasted several years.
How does Johann Woyzeck’s background link to Woyzeck?
Like Woyzeck, Johann Woyzeck had had a tough upbringing, dealing with poverty and in general leading an aimless life.
What is empiricism?
A science which emphasises evidence, especially in the form of experiments. The idea that all hypotheses should be tested against observations from the real world rather than instincts.
What is reductionism?
Taking something complex and reducing the ideas to make it easier to study and understand.
What was one of the features of German naturalism?
An obsession with science and medicine
What is Cafe Concert?
Cafe concert was very popular, it was song, dances and sketches performed to audiences of varied social backgrounds.
What was 1913 Europe like?
Politically charged, on the brink of WW1. German people were unhappy to be ruled by Kaiser Wilhelm.
How did Brecht use marxism in his theories?
In his theories Brecht was against:
The fourth wall
Anything that reinforces capitlist thought
Bourgeoise theatre
Plot
Spectator sharing feeling of actors onstage
What was the creation of Epic Theatre a rebellion against?
In his creation of Epic theatre, Brecht was rebelling against all of the constrictions of bourgeoise theatre. He persuaded audiences that only marxism could truly rule in a just civilisation
When did the strum and dang movement occur?
Late 18th century, translates to storm and stress.
What was the german romantic movement characterised by?
Focus on personal experience
Strong emotion
Rejection of industrialisation, organised religion and rational thinking
What was naturalism?
The idea that theatre should create the perfect illusion of real life.
What are some characteristics of naturalism?
Determinist tone, a belief that the character’s fate has been decided by forces of nature.
Characters are often a victim of social circumstances
Content is serious and explore taboo subjects e.g poverty
When did naturalism occur?
Late 19th century, early 20th century
What is the purpose of narration?
To remind the audience that they’re watching a presentation of a story. The narrator can tell them what happens in the story before it has happened.
What is the purpose of direct address?
Speaking directly to the audience breaks the fourth wall and destroys any illusion of reality.
What is 3rd person narrative?
Commenting upon a character as an actor. This reminds the audience of theatricality.
What is the purpose of speaking stage directions?
It distances the actor from the character they are playing and forces the audience to study the actions of a character in objective detail.
What is multi roling?
When an actor plays more than one character on stage
What is split roling?
This is where more than one actor plays the same character. This keeps the character representational and inhibits emotional involvement and attachment by the audience.
What is the purpose of a placcard?
To tell the audience something they didn’t already know
What is the purpose of using song and dance, especially when the music and lyrics jar?
To distance the audience further
What is the verfremsdungseffekt?
The desire to create emotional distance from the audience and the characters/action onstage
What is gestus?
Exaggerated over the top gestures
What is spass?
German word for fun, humour
Define Lehrstüche
German word for learning play developed by Brecht
What did Brecht say about brains?
‘Hanging their brains up with their hats’
What did Brecht say about spectators?
‘Turns the spectator into the observer’
What did Buchner say in the Hessian Courier?
‘the people lie before them like dung on fields’
What were writers of naturalistic theatre interested in?
Writers were interested in Darwinism and believed that a character’s social enviornment could determine their actions whereas realism only seeks to describe what the character’s really are.
