Bertolt Brecht’s work across theatre Essay Example

from his guidelines.

Many practitioners of theatrical forms such as Aristotle's beliefs are unable to encompass the limitations of theater. As a result, these practitioners have started to explore and develop new theatrical forms that expose the inadequacies of Aristotle's system. One prominent figure in this non-Aristotelian movement is Bertolt Brecht, the founder of Epic Theater. A closer examination of the concepts and theories held by these practitioners reveals a more nuanced relationship beyond a simple rejection of Aristotle's ideas. In this essay, I will investigate and compare two plays using the following research question: How do the theater conventions, ideologies, and techniques introduced by German theater practitioner Bertolt Brecht impact the play 'The Curious Climb of Cutter Chee'? The aforementioned techniques and styles include: Visual Effects, Sound Effects, Acting Techniques, Set Design, and Props.

The inclusion of History, Philosophy, and Ideologies in theatrical productions, as well as the methods used to incorporate them, contribute to modeling the psychological and emotional thought of Brecht. In analyzing these techniques, I will compare and contrast the two plays in how they have utilized and adapted Brechtian conventions to convey their dramatic message to the audience. The detailed examples I have chosen from these two plays highlight their use of these explored techniques. This topic was chosen because Bertolt Brecht is highly regarded for his ability to offer an alternative to traditional theater. The German dramatist's admirable exploration of other theater forms allows the audience to become mentally and emotionally invested in the performance, prompting them to contemplate what is happening on stage instead of merely observing the actors' performances.

Both dramas have been written with the political orientations and conventions

of Brecht in mind. Despite their own unique approaches, these plays contribute to a comprehensive and intriguing analysis.

History, Philosophy ; Subjects

Brecht, who was not only a playwright but also a director of several other plays, developed theories on theater. These theories evolved over time as he constantly reevaluated his beliefs. Born in Augsburg, Germany in 1898, Brecht lived there until the early 1920s. His firsthand experiences in a military hospital during the First World War in Augsburg deeply influenced his opposition to war.

Bertolt Brecht, known for his involvement in the motion, art, and literature aspect of "expressionism," began exploring the concepts of Epic Theatre. He developed a strong Marxist stance and opposed the Nazis, ultimately being forced into exile in 1933 with his books and citizenship revoked in Germany. It was during his exile that he wrote his most significant plays, further expanding the ideas of Epic Theatre. Brecht returned to Germany in 1949 and founded his own theater company, the Berliner Ensemble. In the 1950s, he gained recognition for his contributions to the theater. Brecht is often associated with his concern for distance, reasoning, and logic. He aimed to use the "Verfremdungseffekt" (The disaffection effect) to enable the audience to observe and contemplate a scene while making judgments and emotionally engaging with it.

Brecht believed that the histrionics in his plays should not merely become the roles they were playing. Instead, he felt they should demonstrate the roles, acting as narrators with their own perspective. He believed that a character's circumstances determined their personality. The narrative of his plays could be fragmented, non-linear, and episodic. He aimed to show the audience that

theater can be expressionistic art. He did not want the audience to suspend their disbelief; rather, he wanted them to be aware that they were watching something artificial. Additionally, posters and projections were used to quickly change scenes. Lighting was solely used for illumination and not to create a specific mood. Brecht believed that a play should not provide answers to the audience's questions, but rather leave them with thought-provoking inquiries. He aimed to create plays that would challenge the audience's thinking about the relevant issues.

Contrary to the theory of "realism", Brecht believed in presenting a fictional performance to the audience, which he considered to be a form of deception. He viewed the Epic theater as a completely detached form of theater for his time. Brecht's aim was to empower his audience to critically reflect on the plays being performed by presenting them in a way that doesn't trick the audience into believing they are "real". As a result, Brecht's plays tend to have political undertones due to his strong influence from the wars he witnessed in his lifetime, especially World War I and II.

Since Brecht was a Marxist, he aimed to create dramas that educated the audience about war's effects, while simultaneously allowing them to decide for themselves if it was justified. He accomplishes this by developing complex characters who cannot be easily classified as virtuous (heroes) or evil (villains). For instance, in his play 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui', he portrays 'Arturo Ui' (the protagonist) as a lethargic yet captivating gangster from Chicago who is seeking opportunities to exert his power and gain protection from the police and courts by appealing to

the wealthy elite. At the same time, he is fearful of economic crises and social unrest. Consequently, the audience is prompted to question the choices made by 'Arturo Ui', considering the socio-political circumstances of that time, and contemplate whether he should be considered virtuous or evil. 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' is a play written by Bertolt Brecht himself.

The play focuses on the rise of Hitler's power. It is a dramatic retelling of historical events from Brecht's perspective. However, to add theatrics to the story, Brecht places the action in the world of a small-time American gangster named "Arturo Ui," his henchmen, and their efforts to gain control of the "Cauliflower Industry" (which serves as a satirical element in the play). With the understanding that the play is meant to be comedic, Brecht uses this as a means to highlight the atrocities taking place.

The play is highly theatrical and written with reference to the political situation at the time.

Acting Techniques, Visual Effects, and Sound Effects

Brecht was not primarily a theatre practitioner who directed to showcase his principles; instead, he was a director who modified or revised his theories based on what he observed from his practices. Understanding his general ideas on theater and acting requires considering his practical work. He expected the actor to provide details of theatrical production and how they worked together to achieve this. Brecht conducted his practical work for a long period of time with a carefully selected group at the Berliner Ensemble, which influenced practitioners like Peter Brook. Brecht's

theoretical writings are rich with references to specific acting methods for particular plays as well as more general approaches. As we will see (during this investigation), Brecht did not prioritize the acting method as much as how well the actor understood and interpreted the work at hand.

Brecht’s practical work did not revolve around the historical presence "a point of departure." Stanislavsky directs primarily as an actor, while I direct primarily as a playwright... He starts with the actor... [You] may also hear me say that everything depends on the actor, but I, nevertheless, begin entirely with the play, its requirements and demands. Thus, this statement serves to define the relationship between the actor and the director, consequently defining the relationship between the text and the director.

Brecht presents himself as a manager who prioritizes the text. The most essential principle of Brechtian theater is considering how the context of a play relates to societal change. Additionally, the theater must strive to represent society and human nature as if it were changeable. However, rather than directly exposing society or human nature, they do so through interpretative frameworks. As Brecht puts it, theater involves creating depictions of historical or imagined events between individuals.

Brecht uses a look to portray both the original work and its intended effect, referring to them as "fables". Brecht's performances were groundbreaking on their own, following his belief that the fable should dominate over its characters. Brecht proposed that this exploration process should occur in broad and overlapping stages. This includes script readings and initial blocking rehearsals, where the character is introduced to the text by constantly asking them why they do what they

have to do. An interesting observation about Brecht's approach to presentation techniques and styles can be illustrated using the following examples: sphere theaters were often chosen by practitioners because the audience was able to sit "around" the stage, giving them a complete or "whole" view of what happened on stage. The lighting used for his productions was bright and intense, ensuring that the performance was clearly visible to the audience as well as all the stage equipment in place.

The props in the play were altered to represent multiple objects, such as using a stick as a rifle or transforming a bowl into a hat. Brecht made these changes to focus on articulation and pronunciation. In "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui," the characters are based on real individuals; for example, Arturo Ui represents Adolf Hitler, Giuseppe Givola represents Joseph Goebbels, Emanuele Giri represents Hermann Goering, and Ernesto Roma represents Ernst Rohm. Old Dogsborough symbolizes traditionality as President Von Hinderburg, while the Cauliflower Trust symbolizes a large industry and the Vegetable Traders represent the Germans. Brecht incorporated these real-life facts into a different structure with an American audience in mind. Through his satirical play, Brecht aims to portray the Nazis as a communal yet incredibly unstable group, helping the audience understand their methods of rule. The characters serve as caricatures of past real-life individuals.

"The honest and trusted Dogsborough! With his white hair and black heart, this corrupt old man should step aside." During their greetings, Arturo Ui refers to himself as "his son," which suggests a parallel to the greetings exchanged between Hitler and Hindenburg. "Meet Nivola the con artist. His silver tongue knows how to

trick you into buying a goat instead of a cow! As the saying goes, lies have short legs. Just look at his legs, trust your own eyes!" After the murder of accountant Bowl, Arturo Ui and his gang, with the help of a gang member named Dockdaisy, pretend that she is Mrs. Bowl. "Now we come to Emanuele Giri, the infamous clown. Let's examine him thoroughly!" According to Givola, Giri "laughs so loudly that it causes the plaster to fall from the ceiling."

The storyteller characterizes him as nothing more than a joke, which is confirmed during Charles Fish's test with the line: "Any objection to me feasting in Cicero and digesting in Chicago?" "And in conclusion, Arturo Ui, Public Enemy Number One. Now you will witness the greatest gangster of all time, sent to us by heaven for our crimes, failures, and stupidity!" Brecht uses a distinct form of speech for uneducated, community gangsters. Through this, Brecht aims to highlight that the masses are merely imitating heroes from classic plays. This sophisticated language elicits a dramatic response, which Brecht uses to further criticize Nazism. For the purpose of satire, Brecht creates contemptible characters who use offensive terms associated with Nazis and business-related phrases.

Arturo is a complex character that combines elements of playfulness and ambiguity, gradually building up to his rise to power. Throughout the drama, he engages in acts of violence while expressing sorrow and mockery. He is also compassionate towards the suffering he causes and demonstrates his respect for the police, despite their accusations of corruption. For example, in scene six, Arturo Ui decides to improve his vocal and behavioral skills by taking lessons

from a conceited actor. This juxtaposition of elegant Shakespearean lines with the brutality and resistance of mobsters adds humor to the scene. Brecht, although not a trained musician, infused his work with musical ideas and implications.

He had faith in the musical foundations. The music created a fresh joy and clarity, unlike the dense works of Strauss. Its techniques reverted to classical principles, which was an evolution from the direct, pure language of wind instruments. The popular music reduced the actual size of the performance and emphasized the melodies while refining the orchestration. A sense of classical harmony was being reintroduced, and for some reason, this trend was evident in both serious opera and lighthearted stage performances as well as rhythmic recitations.

Brecht proposed the idea of introducing sound, while also encouraging composers to use old orchestral and operatic forms. Brecht disagreed with the belief that music made for the common people was respectable, while popular music was not. Jazz has played a significant role in the rhythmic, harmonic, and structural development of music, as it became simpler and more understandable. Certain musical and political theories aimed to clarify the thoughts of writers and all those involved, without providing an emotional experience for the audience. The uniqueness of Brecht's words in many scenes lies in the chamber-music orchestration and changing rhythm, which matches Brecht's irregular lines. The dry yet somewhat unexpected melodies underline the words and disrupt the narrative, just as Brecht intended.

The combination of handiness, prowess, and solid content is crucial to Brecht's thoughts. In the drama "The Curious Climb of Cutter Chee", music served as an important element that addressed the audience's emotional inquiries since

it elicited specific emotions in them. However, unlike Brecht's theories, the drama did not adhere to the use of music. Additionally, the drama disregarded Brecht's theory on stage lighting, as the stage was always illuminated to create a certain mood or emotion for the audience instead of solely focusing on lighting. Nevertheless, one aspect that remained true to Brecht's theories in this drama was the display of all prop changes and similar elements to the audience. Finally, another aspect that followed Brecht's theories was his acting techniques, where characters on stage did not reveal their actions in the moment, prohibiting the audience from suspending their disbelief.