Him.

Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) created Epic Theatre, a political and episodic style of theatre. He became one of the most influential theatre practitioners ever, inspiring people like Augusto Boal, Peter Brook, Pina Bausch, and companies such as Paper Birds. Brecht was inspired by many people himself, especially Konstantin Stanislavski, whose acting system he used to create believable characters before changing them to deliver political and social messages. He was also influenced by Karl Marx and Chinese theatre.

The term "Epic Theatre" was first used by Erwin Piscator in 1925 at Berlin's Volksbühne. Piscator wanted theatre to deal with modern social issues. Brecht was also inspired by Richard Wagner, although he disagreed with Wagner's idea of gesamtkunstwerk ("total artwork"), where all art forms combine equally. Brecht believed form and meaning should work together to teach audiences and influence opinions. He wanted theatre to become "an organ of public communication" instead of just entertainment. While many Epic Theatre techniques already existed, Brecht organised them into a clear system that became strongly linked to his name.

Brecht's life greatly shaped his theatre. Growing up in Germany, he experienced World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, economic struggles, and the rise of fascism. He even worked as a medical orderly during WW1. These events convinced him theatre could change society. He believed art should shape reality, not simply reflect it, unlike Stanislavski's more realistic approach. Brechtian theatre focused on making audiences think rather than feel emotionally involved, and it openly showed that it was a performance instead of creating illusion.

Brecht supported left-wing politics and cared deeply about social welfare. Influenced by Marxism, he strongly opposed fascism, especially after the Nazis removed his German citizenship and after living through both World Wars.

By the end of his life, Brecht had founded the Berliner Ensemble, written A Short Organum for the Theatre, and permanently changed political theatre.

Theatre Works

Brecht wrote many famous plays, including The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage and Her Children, and Fear and Misery of the Third Reich. Other Epic Theatre works include The Good Soldier Schweik and Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which mixed Brechtian techniques with Commedia dell'Arte.

The Caucasian Chalk Circle

The Caucasian Chalk Circle is my personal fave Brechtian play (hencewhy I chose to research it a little bit) and I HOPE WE DO IT FOR SENIOR PRODUCTION 2027 WINK WINK MRS KIRK!!

The play was probably co-written with Brecht's long-time collaborator and friend Ruth Berlau. The play begins after a war in a village in the Caucasus mountains in Soviet Georgia. Two groups argue over how land should be used, and one group performs a play to convince officials to give them the valley.

Inside this "play within a play," a revolution removes a governor from power. His wife escapes and abandons her baby son. A servant, Grusha, rescues and raises the child through many struggles, showing kindness and sacrifice. Later, the governor's wife demands the child back, and a judge places the child inside a chalk circle to decide who deserves custody.

The play reflects Brecht's socialist beliefs. Its main message is that things should belong to the people who will care for them best. Brecht suggests society should focus on collective good rather than selfish ownership. Written near the end of World War II, the play asks audiences how society should rebuild after war.

The play also uses metatheatre by constantly reminding audiences they are watching a performance. This creates emotional distance from characters, a key Brechtian idea. The story itself comes from a Chinese parable, showing Brecht's Chinese theatre influence.

Brecht also uses characters symbolically. The Governor's wife is exaggerated as selfish and foolish, possibly representing the old aristocracy. Most characters are unnamed, which distances the audience emotionally and keeps attention on the political message instead of personal attachment.

Brechtian Terms

I'm not going to lie, I saw Max Maclean do this on his blog (big up Maxi), and thought it was a really good idea (thanks Max!!) So below, is a list of really good terms, some of which we were taught in class and some of which I have researched, that relate to Brecht. 

Choice

A decision that a character is forced to make that shows their personality or a point/intention.

Choral Work

A piece of theatre rehearsed together with the group of actors performing in time with the same rhythm - a style of ensemble derived from Greek Theatre used for narration of plot and emotions.

Class

The position a person holds within society based on their wealth, education, upbringing and status.

Content

The message of a piece of art, portrayed through the form.

De-familiarise

A technique used to make an audience pause to think about the social and political implications of the events on stage.

Demonstration

A type of narration in which the actor fully or partially leaves their character and describes or explains their actions, physicality, movements, speech or more. This exaggerates characters and makes it easier for an audience to understand and see a point.

Dialectics

This is the art of investigating the truth of opinions, a form of rhetoric, developed from Socrates, to Hegel, to Karl Marx. Montages and episodes in Brechtian theatre can use dialectical arguments to show political points, and is often in the form of a dialogue arriving at an agreed truth, through Socratic questioning, reminiscent of a thesis and an antithesis reaching a synthesis or conclusion. Everything is made of opposites, gradual changes leads to turning points and change moves in spirals not circles.

Didactic

Meaning intended to teach and have a moral instruction, as all Brechtian, political theatre is.

Direct Address

An actor breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly, in or out of character (as a narrator or character)

Economic

Anything related to trade, production and manufacturing of goods and how wealth is achieved.

Ensemble

A group of actors performing together.

Epization

A rehearsal technique used to create a narrative style of delivery of text.

Externalisation

To show thoughts or feelings on the outside using gesture, movement, facial expressions and other skills - unlike naturalism and Stanislavski's techniques, presenting emotion and potentially hidden subtext clearly for the audience to see on the outside. Gestus and possibly narration helps us achieve this.

Form

The techniques and media used by an artist to convey the content, or message of the art.

Gestus!!

A gesture (physicality or voice or other skill) that defines your character unmistakably with their class and status, personality, and most importantly, attitude, to create an exaggerated and almost stereotyped character. It is designed to be obvious so the audience has an inarguable opinion of the character or point they have.

Left Wing

Holding socialist views, importance of the public holding wealth.

Lehrstuck

The prefix 'lehr' meaning to teach, it is a didactic form of teaching theatre used by Brecht and other epic theatre practitioners.

Meta-theatre

Theatre that acknowledges itself as being theatre through narration, demonstration, direct address, and other techniques that break the fourth wall and are actively aware and make it clear to the audience they are trying to make a point.

Montage

A montage is a collection of scenes that contain contrasting ideas and images, related to the ideas of episodes and episodic theatre.

Narrating

The telling of a story (by an actor).

Placard

A physical sign, projection, or prop that has a message, words, facts or other directions written on it to make a point without speech and independent of actor or character.

Political

Relates to the government of public affairs and running of the state.

Rug Pull/Tickle and Slap

A technique used to strengthen the impact of a point made, by preceding the serious intended point with a comedic or light-hearted section that means the audience doesn't become tired of the point and is more affected by it.

Social

Concerns the relationship between people and communities of a country or area.

Song

A song or piece of music, often comedic, used in plays.

Verfremdungseffekt

Also known as the V-effekt, it is the process by which an actor detaches themself from their character so that the audience is distanced from the given circumstances of the play. This prevents the audience becoming too attached to a character and instead focusing on the point made by the piece.