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Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic
This selection of Bertolt Brecht 's critical writing charts the development of his thinking on theatre and aesthetics over four decades. The volume demonstrates how the theories of Epic Theatre and Alienation evolved and contains notes and essays on the staging of The Threepenny Opera , Mahagonny , Mother Courage , Puntila , Galileo , and many others of his plays. Also included is A Short Organum for the Theatre , Brecht's most complete statement of his revolutionary philosophy of the theatre.
294 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
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About the author
Bertolt Brecht
1,604 books1,921 followersEugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director. A seminal theatre practitioner of the twentieth century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the Berliner Ensemble—the post-war theatre company operated by Brecht and his wife and long-time collaborator, the actress Helene Weigel—with its internationally acclaimed productions.
From his late twenties Brecht remained a life-long committed Marxist who, in developing the combined theory and practice of his 'epic theatre', synthesized and extended the experiments of Piscator and Meyerhold to explore the theatre as a forum for political ideas and the creation of a critical aesthetics of dialectical materialism. Brecht's modernist concern with drama-as-a-medium led to his refinement of the 'epic form' of the drama (which constitutes that medium's rendering of 'autonomization' or the 'non-organic work of art'—related in kind to the strategy of divergent chapters in Joyce's novel Ulysses, to Eisenstein's evolution of a constructivist 'montage' in the cinema, and to Picasso's introduction of cubist 'collage' in the visual arts). In contrast to many other avant-garde approaches, however, Brecht had no desire to destroy art as an institution; rather, he hoped to 're-function' the apparatus of theatrical production to a new social use. In this regard he was a vital participant in the aesthetic debates of his era—particularly over the 'high art/popular culture' dichotomy—vying with the likes of Adorno, Lukács, Bloch, and developing a close friendship with Benjamin. Brechtian theatre articulated popular themes and forms with avant-garde formal experimentation to create a modernist realism that stood in sharp contrast both to its psychological and socialist varieties. "Brecht's work is the most important and original in European drama since Ibsen and Strindberg," Raymond Williams argues, while Peter Bürger insists that he is "the most important materialist writer of our time."
As Jameson among others has stressed, "Brecht is also ‘Brecht’"—collective and collaborative working methods were inherent to his approach. This 'Brecht' was a collective subject that "certainly seemed to have a distinctive style (the one we now call 'Brechtian') but was no longer personal in the bourgeois or individualistic sense." During the course of his career, Brecht sustained many long-lasting creative relationships with other writers, composers, scenographers, directors, dramaturgs and actors; the list includes: Elisabeth Hauptmann, Margarete Steffin, Ruth Berlau, Slatan Dudow, Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, Paul Dessau, Caspar Neher, Teo Otto, Karl von Appen, Ernst Busch, Lotte Lenya, Peter Lorre, Therese Giehse, Angelika Hurwicz, and Helene Weigel herself. This is "theatre as collective experiment [...] as something radically different from theatre as expression or as experience."
There are few areas of modern theatrical culture that have not felt the impact or influence of Brecht's ideas and practices; dramatists and directors in whom one may trace a clear Brechtian legacy include: Dario Fo, Augusto Boal, Joan Littlewood, Peter Brook, Peter Weiss, Heiner Müller, Pina Bausch, Tony Kushner and Caryl Churchill. In addition to the theatre, Brechtian theories and techniques have exerted considerable sway over certain strands of film theory and cinematic practice; Brecht's influence may be detected in the films of Joseph Losey, Jean-Luc Godard, Lindsay Anderson, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Nagisa Oshima, Ritwik Ghatak, Lars von Trier, Jan Bucquoy and Hal Hartley.
During the war years, Brecht became a prominent writer of the Exilliteratur. He expressed his opposition to the National Socialist and Fascist movements in his most famous plays.
From his late twenties Brecht remained a life-long committed Marxist who, in developing the combined theory and practice of his 'epic theatre', synthesized and extended the experiments of Piscator and Meyerhold to explore the theatre as a forum for political ideas and the creation of a critical aesthetics of dialectical materialism. Brecht's modernist concern with drama-as-a-medium led to his refinement of the 'epic form' of the drama (which constitutes that medium's rendering of 'autonomization' or the 'non-organic work of art'—related in kind to the strategy of divergent chapters in Joyce's novel Ulysses, to Eisenstein's evolution of a constructivist 'montage' in the cinema, and to Picasso's introduction of cubist 'collage' in the visual arts). In contrast to many other avant-garde approaches, however, Brecht had no desire to destroy art as an institution; rather, he hoped to 're-function' the apparatus of theatrical production to a new social use. In this regard he was a vital participant in the aesthetic debates of his era—particularly over the 'high art/popular culture' dichotomy—vying with the likes of Adorno, Lukács, Bloch, and developing a close friendship with Benjamin. Brechtian theatre articulated popular themes and forms with avant-garde formal experimentation to create a modernist realism that stood in sharp contrast both to its psychological and socialist varieties. "Brecht's work is the most important and original in European drama since Ibsen and Strindberg," Raymond Williams argues, while Peter Bürger insists that he is "the most important materialist writer of our time."
As Jameson among others has stressed, "Brecht is also ‘Brecht’"—collective and collaborative working methods were inherent to his approach. This 'Brecht' was a collective subject that "certainly seemed to have a distinctive style (the one we now call 'Brechtian') but was no longer personal in the bourgeois or individualistic sense." During the course of his career, Brecht sustained many long-lasting creative relationships with other writers, composers, scenographers, directors, dramaturgs and actors; the list includes: Elisabeth Hauptmann, Margarete Steffin, Ruth Berlau, Slatan Dudow, Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, Paul Dessau, Caspar Neher, Teo Otto, Karl von Appen, Ernst Busch, Lotte Lenya, Peter Lorre, Therese Giehse, Angelika Hurwicz, and Helene Weigel herself. This is "theatre as collective experiment [...] as something radically different from theatre as expression or as experience."
There are few areas of modern theatrical culture that have not felt the impact or influence of Brecht's ideas and practices; dramatists and directors in whom one may trace a clear Brechtian legacy include: Dario Fo, Augusto Boal, Joan Littlewood, Peter Brook, Peter Weiss, Heiner Müller, Pina Bausch, Tony Kushner and Caryl Churchill. In addition to the theatre, Brechtian theories and techniques have exerted considerable sway over certain strands of film theory and cinematic practice; Brecht's influence may be detected in the films of Joseph Losey, Jean-Luc Godard, Lindsay Anderson, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Nagisa Oshima, Ritwik Ghatak, Lars von Trier, Jan Bucquoy and Hal Hartley.
During the war years, Brecht became a prominent writer of the Exilliteratur. He expressed his opposition to the National Socialist and Fascist movements in his most famous plays.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 3, 2021
I've only read bits and pieces of this collection, but then I've been told by people whose opinions I trust that one only really needs to read bits and pieces, as long as one reads the right bit and pieces. From what I've read, I would suggest "Theatre for Pleasure or Theatre for Instruction," "The Street Scene," and "A Short Organum for the Theatre" for anyone who wants to get a fairly quick but really solid sense of Brecht's theories of the epic theatre and the A-effect.
Basically Brecht looms large over the history of 20th century theatre--probably larger than any other single practicioner, except maybe someone like Stanislavsky. The theory of the epic theatre and the A-effect (alienation effect) were crucial components in the turn from 19th century melodrama and realism to more experimental theatrical forms like the Theatre of the Absurd or environmental theatre. Brecht gives us the tools not only to interrogate theatrical conventions going back to Aristotle's Poetics, but also to use/see/read the theatre as a means of pushing for and effecting positive social change. He reacted against the conventions of illusion that can be traced back to Aristotle, envisioning instead a theatre that functions more like a lecture and critical dialogue--in Epic theatre we are not meant to believe that Meryl Streep IS Mother Courage (for instance), but the performance is supposed to show Meryl Streep demonstrating how Mother Courage has acted in a situation where she could have acted differently. I find this a fascinating idea, that the Epic theatre pushes against any concept of fatedness (either in the sense of Greek tragedy, where characters are literally fated by the gods and the Fates, or in the sense of Realist drama where characters and their reactions are largely determined and delineated by their social conditioning). No, for Brecht characters make choices, when they could easily have made other choices, and it is the responsibility of the Epic theatre to make clear both the process of choice making and the possible alternatives. I don't think I entirely know what this looks like (probably in part because I have grown up in a post-Brechtian theatrical situation, so it may be more that I don't know what the alternative against which Brecht is reacting would look like, if that makes any sense), but I find the idea fascinating.
https://youtu.be/DlsZEefaqUM
Basically Brecht looms large over the history of 20th century theatre--probably larger than any other single practicioner, except maybe someone like Stanislavsky. The theory of the epic theatre and the A-effect (alienation effect) were crucial components in the turn from 19th century melodrama and realism to more experimental theatrical forms like the Theatre of the Absurd or environmental theatre. Brecht gives us the tools not only to interrogate theatrical conventions going back to Aristotle's Poetics, but also to use/see/read the theatre as a means of pushing for and effecting positive social change. He reacted against the conventions of illusion that can be traced back to Aristotle, envisioning instead a theatre that functions more like a lecture and critical dialogue--in Epic theatre we are not meant to believe that Meryl Streep IS Mother Courage (for instance), but the performance is supposed to show Meryl Streep demonstrating how Mother Courage has acted in a situation where she could have acted differently. I find this a fascinating idea, that the Epic theatre pushes against any concept of fatedness (either in the sense of Greek tragedy, where characters are literally fated by the gods and the Fates, or in the sense of Realist drama where characters and their reactions are largely determined and delineated by their social conditioning). No, for Brecht characters make choices, when they could easily have made other choices, and it is the responsibility of the Epic theatre to make clear both the process of choice making and the possible alternatives. I don't think I entirely know what this looks like (probably in part because I have grown up in a post-Brechtian theatrical situation, so it may be more that I don't know what the alternative against which Brecht is reacting would look like, if that makes any sense), but I find the idea fascinating.
https://youtu.be/DlsZEefaqUM
March 26, 2007
اغلب اثار برتولد برشت به فارسی برگردانده شده؛ "سقراط مجروح" کیکاووس جهانداری / "در انبوه شهرها" عبدالرحمن صدریه / "استثناء و قاعده" محمود اعتماد زاده(م. به آذین) / "ان که گفت آری و آن که گفت نه" مصطفی رحیمی / زندگانی گالیله (گالیله ئو گالیله ئی) عبدالرحیم احمدی / "ترس و نکبت رایش سوم" شریف لنکرانی / "ننه دلاور و فرزندان او" مصطفی رحیمی / "آدم، آدم است" دو ترجمه از شریف لنکرانی و امین موید / "بچه فیل" و استنطاق لوکولوس" شریف لنکرانی / "زن نیک سچوان" دو ترجمه از فریده ی لاشایی و مهدی زمانیان / "دایره گچی قفقازی" دو ترجمه از حمید سمندریان و امین موید / "چهره های سیمون ماشار" دو ترجمه از عبدالرحمن صدریه و شریف لنکرانی / "داستان های آقای کوینر" سعید ایمانی / "داستان یک پولی"(اپرای یک پولی) هوشنگ پیرنظر / "تفنگ های ننه کارار" دو ترجمه از فریدون ایل بیگی و شریف لنکرانی / "ارباب پونتیلا و نوکرش مه آتی" سه ترجمه از عبدالرحمن صدریه، فریده ی لاشایی و رضا کرم رضایی / "درباره ی تیاتر" منیزه کامیاب و حسن بایرامی / "هیولا" همایون نوراحمر / "مادر" منیژه کامیاب و حسن بایرامی / "کله گردها و کله تیزها" بهروز مشیری / "بعل" خشایار قائم مقامی / "پیرزنی که پیر نمی نمود" کامران فانی / "گفتگوی فراریان" خشایار قائم مقامی / "اقداماتی علیه زور" ناصر صفایی / "حیوان محبوب آقای کوینر" / ناصر صفایی / "اگر کوسه ماهی ها آدم بودند" بهروز تاجور / "شوایک در جنگ جهانی دوم" دو ترجمه؛ حمید علوی، فرامرز بهزاد / "عظمت و انحطاط شهر ماهاگونی" مهدی اسفندیارفرد / "قطعه آموزشی" مینو ملک خانی / "اندیشه های متی" عبدالله کوثری / "محاکمه ی ژاندارک در روان" عبدالله کوثری / "صلیب گچی" سیاوش بیدارفکر / "قیمت آهن چنده" رضا کرم رضایی / "کریولانوس" مهدی تقوی / "اپرای سه پولی" علی اکبر خداپرست / "ژان مقدس کشتارگاه" دو ترجمه از جواد شمس و ابوالحسن ونده ور / "صعود مقاومت پذیر ارتورو اویی" افرویدون / "زندگی تیاتری من" فریدون ناظری / "روزهای کمون" کاووسی (فریده لاشایی) /"درباره تیاتر" فرامرز بهزاد / و بسیاری دیگر از آثار نوشتاری و مجموعه ی اشعار برشت
May 6, 2021
A selection of Bertolt Brecht's critical writing edited & translated by John Willett.
Read it first many years ago (1965) while at the De Leon Summer Drama School, where I realised I never wanted to be an actor after all. But I did meet the amazing young Gerard Murphy with whom I corresponded for two years in adolescent years. He gave a marvellous audition from Pinter's The Caretaker which mesmerised everyone present while massively exceeding the audition time. He was the "star" of our end of term play. Of course, as we all expected, he went on to have a brilliant career with Royal Shakespeare Company & fame & fortune in film & television. It was strange to see him Vanity Fair (TV) as the vile debauched Lord Steyne - no longer the handsome young leading man but a balding older man with a fuller girth. I last saw him act at The Barbican London, UK in a Jacobean revenge drama many years ago.
So this book is full of memories. No-one interested in Theory & theatre will miss reading this still amazing text. It charts Brecht's development of his ideas, aesthetics and philosophies on theatre. It includes his ideas on Epic Theatre & Alienation. There are essays on major works & their staging e.g. The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage & Galileo. Great photos too!
Read it first many years ago (1965) while at the De Leon Summer Drama School, where I realised I never wanted to be an actor after all. But I did meet the amazing young Gerard Murphy with whom I corresponded for two years in adolescent years. He gave a marvellous audition from Pinter's The Caretaker which mesmerised everyone present while massively exceeding the audition time. He was the "star" of our end of term play. Of course, as we all expected, he went on to have a brilliant career with Royal Shakespeare Company & fame & fortune in film & television. It was strange to see him Vanity Fair (TV) as the vile debauched Lord Steyne - no longer the handsome young leading man but a balding older man with a fuller girth. I last saw him act at The Barbican London, UK in a Jacobean revenge drama many years ago.
So this book is full of memories. No-one interested in Theory & theatre will miss reading this still amazing text. It charts Brecht's development of his ideas, aesthetics and philosophies on theatre. It includes his ideas on Epic Theatre & Alienation. There are essays on major works & their staging e.g. The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage & Galileo. Great photos too!
September 2, 2024
The latter half of this book, with all of Brecht’s postwar writings on narrative technique (and a really fun dialogue on Shakespeare) make it worth it. A real genius with ironclad commitment to the workers struggle.
Read
February 7, 2017Brecht is a charmer, if nothing else, and his plays have so much life to them that manages to succeed even when his vaunted "alienation" effect doesn't work as planned. And in his theoretical work, he's often charming too, even if his writings on theater from a technical perspective are a bit useless to me as a layman. I can't say that all of the writings here are of value -- indeed, some of the writings on theater practitioner as worker are almost comically dated -- but it's an honest voice, and one with far less pretense than most theatrical writing.
February 10, 2012
This compilation of Brecht's writings on theater is organized chronologically, showing how his concepts of the "epic theater" and alienation developed over the course of his life. The general understanding of what is "Brechtian" today is a form of theater that alienates the audience, and this effect is usually created by making the audience physically and emotionally uncomfortable. However, Brecht's idea of alienation is far more nuanced than that; in fact, the audience should be so comfortable that they can more objectively assess the situation being presented to them (for Brecht, reason > emotion) even while realizing that they are implicated in the systems wrecking havoc on the characters' lives.
As far as this particular edition goes, the editor's notes are very thorough, but he places the contextual summaries for each of Brecht's little essays at the end of each essay - WHY?
As far as this particular edition goes, the editor's notes are very thorough, but he places the contextual summaries for each of Brecht's little essays at the end of each essay - WHY?
July 22, 2022
A superbly scholarly work, one that anthologises more than summarises. If you are looking to explore subtle distinctions in original Brecht texts and dig down into their implications then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a general introduction to Brecht’s dramatic theory (or perhaps indeed epic (perhaps non-Aristotelian)), then the comprehensive presentation of essays will inevitably produce unwanted repetitions.
Brecht’s writing style is engaging, humorous, frequently unconventional, erudite, and never weighed down by any of the jargonistic language you might expect from one of the great modern theorists of theatre.
Verfremdung it is!!!
Brecht’s writing style is engaging, humorous, frequently unconventional, erudite, and never weighed down by any of the jargonistic language you might expect from one of the great modern theorists of theatre.
Verfremdung it is!!!
December 18, 2022
Highly recommend to anyone in the arts (particularly film and theatre—in my opinion, essential reading). Best engaged with after reading some Marxist theory—particularly on dialectical materialism and class struggle—to understand the political and philosophical foundation and aim. An admirable endeavour to change the world for the better through radical artistic innovation. This chronologically organised collection of Brecht’s writings is of further interest due to Brecht’s (antifascist) writing taking place through the rise of fascism in Germany. Brecht’s ideas remain painfully relevant today and are still severely underutilised whilst stagnant and hollow approaches predominate.
May 5, 2022
yeah my man bertie is funny. nice and contextualised so you can see the evolution of his funny thoughts about theatre! good shit.
December 16, 2019
This book has informed my artistic practice ever since I first encountered it over thirty years ago.
July 26, 2025
very useful for my ee research 😂😂🙏 bro was rlly onto smth!! lifesaver fr but tbh only read the first half and you’ll be good
March 2, 2019
There’s a lot to taken in, a few decades and several different countries as Brecht progressed his epic theatre into something more didactic. Most of the essays, interviews and extracts feel like he was always mad at something, but between the lines there is the sheer joy of putting on a show in a way that audiences would not have seen before, the a-effect he crafted throughout his career. At other times, the chapters read like a highlight reel of personal plays like Threepenny Opera, Galileo, Mother Courage and Just a bit of Coriolanus. To think all the while he had these items working there way through print media, he also had his Me-Ti aphorisms in addition to the many plays I still have to read. Der Mann ist eine Maschine!
July 16, 2017
In this series of notes and essays, we can follow how Brecht theorizes a new theatre that exposes class contradictions and goad the public to action for social transformation.
Brecht's interventions are at once very practical (as guides to theatre production and acting) and clarificatory of aesthetic issues such as realism, formalism, popular culture, among others.
Breaking with the old theatre which has served to conjure illusions about an exploitative social order, Brecht's innovations not only gives theatre a great service.
It is another step in the development of an aesthetics that serves the people's struggle.
Brecht's interventions are at once very practical (as guides to theatre production and acting) and clarificatory of aesthetic issues such as realism, formalism, popular culture, among others.
Breaking with the old theatre which has served to conjure illusions about an exploitative social order, Brecht's innovations not only gives theatre a great service.
It is another step in the development of an aesthetics that serves the people's struggle.
January 26, 2012
Lol ... this will say more about my level of intellect I presume than the quality of the work, but I would much rather read about Brecht from other people's words than from the man himself! It was tough going and I don't feel as though I'm any better equipted to teach his theatrical techniques now, than what I was when I started reading this text! He is not a man I would have called friend! :)
June 1, 2014
Good insight into Brecht's thoughts. While the first part makes it look as if Brecht is a little maniacal and rigid, he makes it clear later in the book his sense of humor and that he is merely describing one (new) way of doing things. Some essays are incredibly obtuse, but many are very enjoyable.
July 3, 2019
The mind of genius. An essential read for any theatre professional. Can be problematic if you have little familiarity with the plays referenced... but then again a professional who doesn't know these plays are not professionals.
November 26, 2007
It would be nice if theatre ran in this vein more often. It's helpful to read through his conception of it.
May 31, 2008
Ok, in all fairness, I didn't read the whole thing, but I did love the parts I read... :) Used parts of it as I was researching Brecht for my Fear and Misery project in college.
March 27, 2009
It's better to read other people talk about his theories than he talk about them himself. But it's a foundational tome, nontheless.
January 11, 2010
I read this for a German class. I can't say I was very interested in theatre or in Brecht's opinion on it. I just needed the credits.
August 6, 2012
Using it as a comparative source to study the films of Lars Von Trier, but also starting to grow interested in the other ideas Brecht puts forth even though they don't necessarily go with my topic.
January 24, 2014
Crazy SOB
September 28, 2010
I haven't actually read the entire book but it's one of the greatest sources I've ever used for research and is incredibly interesting, to boot.
Currently reading
August 27, 2012It makes me smile and inspires me!
October 15, 2014
Practically already worship Brecht. Really great to dig into his own thoughts with the context of his time and location.
September 9, 2016
It was a great book.
Want to read
July 29, 2016Read: Alienation Effects in Chinese Acting.
February 28, 2019
I read this awhile ago and found it fascinating as theatre art form. Brecht was unique and wonderful. Good book for anyone interested in the theatre.
Read
March 24, 2025"(...) we should still have to say that the 'theatre' set-up's broadest function was to give pleasure. It is the noblest function that we have found for 'theatre'.
"From the first it has been the theatre's business to entertain people, as it also has of all the other arts. It is this business which always gives it its particular dignity; it needs no other passport than fun, but this it has got to have. (...) The theatre must in fact remain something entirely superfluous, though this indeed means that it is the superfluous for which we live. Nothing needs less justification than pleasure."
"The theatre as we know it shows the structure of society (represented on the stage) as incapable of being influenced by society (in the auditorium). Oedipus, who offended against certain principles underlying the society of his time, is executed: the gods see to that; they are beyond criticism. Shakespeare's great solitary figures, bearing on their breast the star of their fate, carry through with irresistible force their futile and deadly outbursts; they prepare their own downfall; life, not death, becomes obscene as they collapse; the catastrophe is beyond criticism. Human sacrifices all round! Barbaric delights! We know that the barbarians have their art. Let us create another."
and now a few moments I found funny:
"We Germans are uncommonly good at putting up with boredom and are thoroughly hardened to the unfunny."
"Shaw has applied a great part of his talent to intimidating people to a point when it would be an impertinence for them to prostrate themselves before him."
"The impression made may not be good, but an impression is made none the less: a bad one."
Gorelik on Brecht: "Bert's thinking, at that time, was aggressively anti-bourgeois, and formed a closed system whose structure was threatened by any effective criticism. I gave him some bad moments, especially when I failed to share his disdain for suspense and climax in drama. As the climax to one such discussion of climax he threatened to throw me out of the window... It was characteristic of him that he would brood for weeks or months over any rent in his thought-fabric until he could knit it back into unity. Later on, when I pointed out to him that his own writing contained suspense and climax, he remarked, airily, 'Is that what you mean? That's so elementary that I take it for granted!'"
"From the first it has been the theatre's business to entertain people, as it also has of all the other arts. It is this business which always gives it its particular dignity; it needs no other passport than fun, but this it has got to have. (...) The theatre must in fact remain something entirely superfluous, though this indeed means that it is the superfluous for which we live. Nothing needs less justification than pleasure."
"The theatre as we know it shows the structure of society (represented on the stage) as incapable of being influenced by society (in the auditorium). Oedipus, who offended against certain principles underlying the society of his time, is executed: the gods see to that; they are beyond criticism. Shakespeare's great solitary figures, bearing on their breast the star of their fate, carry through with irresistible force their futile and deadly outbursts; they prepare their own downfall; life, not death, becomes obscene as they collapse; the catastrophe is beyond criticism. Human sacrifices all round! Barbaric delights! We know that the barbarians have their art. Let us create another."
and now a few moments I found funny:
"We Germans are uncommonly good at putting up with boredom and are thoroughly hardened to the unfunny."
"Shaw has applied a great part of his talent to intimidating people to a point when it would be an impertinence for them to prostrate themselves before him."
"The impression made may not be good, but an impression is made none the less: a bad one."
Gorelik on Brecht: "Bert's thinking, at that time, was aggressively anti-bourgeois, and formed a closed system whose structure was threatened by any effective criticism. I gave him some bad moments, especially when I failed to share his disdain for suspense and climax in drama. As the climax to one such discussion of climax he threatened to throw me out of the window... It was characteristic of him that he would brood for weeks or months over any rent in his thought-fabric until he could knit it back into unity. Later on, when I pointed out to him that his own writing contained suspense and climax, he remarked, airily, 'Is that what you mean? That's so elementary that I take it for granted!'"
December 22, 2023
A fascinating collection of essays which makes me wish I’d picked up a more recent version with a better translation. That gripe aside, Brecht’s formulation of Marxism in culture with his own personal eccentric opinions proves fascinating. The way the book is laid out allows for a tracing of certain threads throughout his career has he comes more into his Marxism, though his concepts stand out even ignoring the Marxian frameworks. What proves particularly noteworthy is the fact that Brecht was only the most remembered out of a very vibrant scene, the opening section of this collection of essays are littered with praise for Piscator, and go into detail about fascinating plays being put on during the Weimar era, including some on the lives of oil workers and the production of oil, the need for abortion rights, and one about the former Kaiser wherein the Kaiser was offered the role as a way to resolve legal trouble. On that last part, though, Brecht had somewhat of a distaste, since he believed that actors should act- not become the characters they play. The alienation effect and “epic theater” are perhaps the two most prevalent concepts throughout the work, and alienation effect is one which should perhaps be noted in a world which is always trying to make you empathize with fictional characters rather than witness, observe and critique them. “The short organum” is perhaps the most noteworthy essay due in part to its length but also its concise contents which offers a great summary of some of Brecht’s concepts- though it is helpful to recontextualize w/ the appendices which show a change in opinion (or at least dressing) in regards to “Epic theater.” Epic theater is one concepts I still do have some trouble with, though I believe from my understanding the main gist has to do with ability to narrate a story practically rather than dramatically. One of the last essays (“Conversation on being forced into empathy,” which is moreso a roundtable discussion) helped me to understand his motivations in reducing drama, and perhaps may serve as somewhat relatable reading to anyone who’s worked retail.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews