Brecht created the Verfumdungseffekt or distancing effect. This was created to stop the audience getting emotionally involved in the play, instead they were supposed to think about the issues addressed in the play. Brecht did this so the audience didn’t suspend their disbelief and would leave the theatre thinking about how they could apply the messages in the play to their own lives and not how upset they were when a character died.
Brecht set Mother Courage during the 30 years war because it had similarities to World War one, it started mainly in Germany and was between Catholics and Protestants so Brecht could address religion and war in the play. Brecht also choose the 30 years war and not World War One as no one would remember the 30 years war, so there wouldn’t be an emotional attachment which allows the audience to focus on the message of the play. Brecht used a real historical event and not a fake one so the audience would take notice of the issues and not think that they won’t be a problem because the war in the play was fictional. You can tell it is really set in the 30 years war because of the dates of events, such as the death of the Swedish king Gestave and the Imperial Commander Tilly in 1632 are correct.
In “Mother Courage” Brecht uses the 30 years war to put forward his anti-war views. The main example of this is simply Mother Courage and the way she uses war for her benefit but she loses her three children to it, the Sergeant sums it up in scene 1 when he says to Mother Courage “What the war to nourish you, Have to feed it something in return.” Brecht meaning here is to warn people from using the war to their advantage and to not get involved as it will end badly.
Brecht used a different sort of staging to dramatic theatre. This was to remind the audience that they were in the theatre, he didn’t want them to get too involved in the story. Brecht did this by using drama mediums.
Set
Brecht’s set was very bare and simple. It didn’t have any backdrop or many props. If he wanted to show a place he would use only a few object to symbolise it e.g. if the characters were walking through a forest he would have a few branches on stage to symbolise the forest. If there was a need for any larger props like the peasants house at the end of Mother Courage, then the materials that made it had to be available at the time the play was set. For Mother Courage this would have been the 17th century.
Lighting
Brecht wanted the audience to know they were in the theatre so he often kept the house lights on during the whole play. This also made the audience self conscious and so they would judge themselves and think how they were like the characters and how they could change. He also kept the stage constantly lit with a white light so as not to create atmosphere.
Costume
The costume had to be authentic to the time the play was set, they also had to show wear and tear. If there were any costume changes the actors would get changed on stage in plain sight so the audience would always be aware they were watching a play.
Brecht used song as a way to slow down the pace so the audience could reflect on what had just happened. Songs were also used to introduce the next scene. The musicians were in front of the stage, in view of the audience and the only music Brecht used was in the songs so not to create unwanted atmosphere.
Brecht used projection or plagues that gave the audience a summary of what would happen in the scene, this was so the audience didn’t keep guessing what will happen next or being shocked which would draw attention away from the issues.
Brecht created Gestus to communicate characters and their situations to the audiences. Gestus is a combination of gesture and social meaning into one movement, stance or vocal display. It is not realistic so the audience doesn’t feel emotions. It often used to show social meaning. An example of gestus is when Kattrin puts on Yvette’s red boots, this shows her characters sexual frustration.
Brecht wants his actors to present their characters in a way that was not an impersonation. He wanted the actors to come out of character or break the fourth wall by talking or going into the audience. This was to stop the audience getting emotionally attached to the characters.
“Mother Courage and Her Children” is a reflection of Brecht’s life and experiences. He lived in poverty, through a war and had to travel around this is reflected in “Mother Courage”. Brecht also puts across his views in “Mother Courage and her Children.” The message of Mother Courage will always be relevant as there will always be war and people will always try to make a profit from other people’s suffering.
