On Experimental Theatre
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1. Comment on Brecht’s
analysis of the experimental trends in modern theatre with reference to the
works of Erwim Piscator.
Or
Write a short note on
Brecht’s concept of alienation theory.
Answer:-
In 1936 a wide range of
experimentation and innovation had established in the contemporary theatre. The
training of actors and directors in the western theatre has since become more
organized to take in programmed from the earlier innovators. Among them, Brecht
remain a towering personality above all other. Brecht’s essay “On Experimental
Theatre” in which he reviews some prominent dramatist’s works and comments on
the type of experimentations. Brecht traces through the modern theatre the 2
lines running from naturalism and expressionism.
Naturalism, as he finds the assimilation of art to science which gave the
naturalist theatre a great special influence. Brecht’s Marxist political convictions
lead him to invent an alternate direction for the theatre that would mingle the
two functions of instruction and entertainment.
In this way the theatre
could project a picture for the world by artistic means and offer the models of
life that could help the spectator to understand their social environment and
to think both rationally and emotionally. The main concept of Brecht’s program
which he called the ‘Verfrem dung-effect’ or alienation theory. In order to induce a
critical frame of mind in the spectator Brecht considers it necessary to
dispense with the emphathetic involvement with the stage.
Originally presented as a lecturers
to the students of drama in Stockholon
University in May 1939, this new conception tears a revolution
in dramatic practice in the Western Theatre. Brecht offers his response to the
changing circumstances in which theatre flourished in the early decades of 28th
century. Brecht initials his discussion by tracing the two most important
features in the modern theatre they are entertainment and instruction which
actually plays in opposite direction. These two concepts influenced the playwrights
and thinker of the stage and they advise their methods for the up gradation of
the modern theatre.
The Greek work for actor is
“hypocrites’ and there is a great deal of anxiety in modern drama about
hypocracy to be someone other than who really is. Brecht provided a solution to
the problem of the actor’s potential hypocracy by saying that the actors must
always be aware of and make the audience aware of the distance between actor
and the role. He should identify himself as a person portraying a part and
observing it from outside. In this way he can allow his audience to observe his
acting or his role critically.
Many of Brecht’s genius
involve the question of the spectator’s relationship to the action on the
stage. Brecht discourages identification on sympathy between the audience and
character which had been one of the primary goals of mellow drama and of
romantic theory. It was also implicit in Aristotle’s notion of pity and catharsis.
Instead of identifying with the characters on stage, Brecht wanted the
spectator to maintain an intellectual distant from the action to find reason
about the dramatic sequence rather than just responding to it emotionally.
This process involves the
use of techniques design to distance the audience from emotional involvement in
the play through jolting reminders of the artificiality of theatrical performance.
Examples of such techniques include explanatory captions or illustrations
projected on the scene, across stetting out of character to give a lecture or
summarize or sing songs and stage designs that don’t represent any locality,
and also by exposing the lights to keep the spectator aware of being in a
theatre. The audience’s degree of identification with characters and events is
control. Brecht’s conceived alienation effect not only as a specific aesthetic
program but also as a political mission of the theatre. Inspired
by the philosophies of Karlmarx’s, Brecht regarded his method as a way of
helping the spectators to understand the complex nexuses of historical
development and social relationship.
Regarding the alienation effect Brecht was influence by
Chinese theatre. The traditional notions of characters are called into question because
Brecht believed, “The human being is the object of inquiry and he is alterable
and able to alter”. By creating stage effects that were strange and unusual,
Brecht intended to involve audience into an active role in the production. This
alienation theory had a far reaching impact on the modern theatre. Brecht’s
work is regarded as the most important and original form in European drama.
There are few areas of modern theatrical culture that have not felt the impact
of Brecht’s ideas and practice. In Addition to the theatre Brechterian theories
and technique had a considerable sway over theory and cinematic practice film.
Q-2 Discuss About Brecht’s concept of epic theatre.
Q-2 Discuss About Brecht’s concept of epic theatre.
Or
Write about
Brecht’s conception of theatre and how it is different from Aristotle’s
conception.
Answer:-
To describe ‘epic’ Aristotle
said. “As to that poetic imagination which is narrative in form” and regarding
tragedy he said, “In the form of action, not in narrative”. So, Aristotle means that the prominent element of drama is action
and not narration. But rejecting this “Aristrolian theory” Brecht
called his drama as “epic theater” giving importance on
narration. Bur. Brecht is one of the most influential figures of
20th century. theatre and most significant practitioner since World
War II. Brecht’s theories for the stage, including his well known epic theatre
and alienation technique made him a force to be reckoned with. He was a
theorist, poet, playwright and above all a trend settler in dramatic form as he
applied his theories to the works of one of the great theatre companies of the
world, The Berliner and Ensemble.
Brecht preferred to demonstrate his concepts
for Epic Theatre in performances instead of acting exercises. Unlike Artaud,
Brecht’s ideas were concrete and translatable for actors for generations to
come. A firm Marxist, Brecht’s plays often had a political and social message
for those viewing them. According his dramas include songs, projection, playards,
narrators and story tellers who brings home the message of the play by directly
addressing the audience.
Brecht’s theory of Epic theatre was designed to encourage
the audiences to remain alert by reminding them that they are watching a play.
Brecht in his notes of stage direction for the play, “The Life of Galileo”,
writes, “The
Stage décor must not be such that the public believes itself to be in a room in
Medieval. Italy or in the Vatican, the public must remain always clearly aware,
it is in a theatre.” Associating epics with the ancient standards which range
of heroic deeds to an audience who set back and reflect those happenings in
their mind.
Brecht’s explain that emphasizes
emotion. What Brecht called Aristotelian theatre relied to a great extent on
empathy on the ability to identify with the protagonist who was traditionally a
figure of genuinely heroic proportions.
Aristotelian theatre as
Brecht believed was to arouse in the spectator the feelings of pity. Pity for
the suffering individual and fear that it might happen to oneself.
Brecht by contrast wanted
spectators to retain some distance from the events depicted on the stage.
Audience should not be encouraged to think that the action of the play occurs
in the present. To prevent such illusions the epic playwright makes use of
various distancing devices, called in German “Verfremdungs effekte”, a term
which Brecht condensed into v-effekte or in English A-effect. Here, A
represents alienation.
The ability to form
independent judgment must not be compromised. Brecht believed that the audience
will reach the necessary and desired conclusion that the world needs changing
and they must help bring about the change. He thought that actors too must
avoid identifying with their parts, thinking of themselves in the third person
as demonstrating rather than enacting events. Consequently Brecht advocated a
number of unorthodox devices. Brecht has a brief verbal summary of the contents
of each upcoming scene projected on to a screen, sub-ordination the “Dramatic”
to the “Epic” aspect.
Brecht was influenced by the ‘Chinese Theatre’ regarding
the epic conception of drama. On a trip to Moscow in 1935 Brecht viewed ‘Chinese
Theatre’ and one of its actor, Mei-Lan-Fang for the first time found that
traditional Chinese acting also used alienation effect. After sometime Brecht
founded his world famous ‘Three Penny Opera’, an adaption of the 18th
century, Beggars Opera by John Gay. This three Penny Opera popularized the concept of
epic theatre worldwide. So, we can conclude by the words of Martin Esslin
regarding Brecht’s epic theatre, “The Brechtian theatre is a theatre designed
to arouse in the audience a sense of dissatisfaction, a realization of
contradictions, it is a theatre supremely fitted for parody and caricature,
therefore essentially a negative theatre.”
“The Brecht theatre is a
theatre designed to arouse in the audience a sense of dissatisfaction, a
realization of contradiction it is a theatre supremely fitted for parody &
caricature, therefore essentially a negative theatre.”
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