Epic theatre is a form of drama developed in Germany in the 1920’s, in which the presentation of ideas was central. It used unconventional devices, such as the chorus, placards, narration, film and music to create a theatre emphasising a response of thought rather than emotion.
Its most notable
exponent was Bertolt Brecht, best known for “Mother courage and her children”.
To encourage the audience to adopt a more critical attitude to what was
happening in the stage; Bretch developed the “alienation effect”. The
alienation effect consists in the use of anti-illusive techniques to remind the
spectators that they are in the theatre watching an illusion of reality. Such
techniques includes flooding the stage with harsh white light, regardless of
where the action was taking place, and leaving the stage lamps in full view of
the audience; making use of minimal props and indicative scenery, intentionally
interrupting the action at key junctures with songs in order to drive home an
important point or message; and projecting explanatory captions onto a screen
or employing placards. From his actors Brecth demanded not realism and
identification with the role but an objective style of playing, to become in a
sense detached observers. The technical advances were enough to permit the
stage to incorporate an element of narrative in its dramatic productions. The
possibility of projections, the greater adaptability of the stage due to
mechanization; all complete the theatre. Brecht fundamentally departs from the
morality play tradition as well.
The term epic theatre used by Brecht for
the first time in 1926, did not originate with him, while Bertolt Brecht
perfected it. He discarded the Aristotelian gospels, regarded a play as a series
of loosely connected scenes, dispensed with dramatic climaxes and used songs to
comment on the action.
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