An Introduction to Brechtian Theatre
Brecht was trying to grapple with truths in his work. He wanted to encourage the audience to be politically active. He wanted to create belief and disbelief in his work at the same time. He didn't want his audience to sit comfortably.
The costume he developed for people working behind the scenes was not trying to make them blend in with the background, it was used to make the audience aware that it was a play because they can obviously see the makers. He wanted to create a sense of alienation through exposing members of the set team. He used lighting and abstract sounds to further distance the audience.
Brecht on Stage
His work was dialectical so that it was challenging for the audience. He created a critical distance from the theatre so that the audience could question what was happening, making it political. He aimed to make his work so that the audience could see what could be changed up. He wanted to create images that told a story. He used the lighting and abstract sounds to make the audience step back from the action. His way of working involved creating images and then in the rehearsal process manipulating them over and over until the actors and crew were satisfied with the images created. He also worked with the scripts so that they created the desired reactions from the audience. He liked to provoke reactions from the audience. He liked the physicality to comment on the language used in the piece. He was constantly democratic in his way of working.
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