As the most influential person in political theatre, Brecht used his plays to encourage people to see what was wrong with society. He was utterly against realism and the way in which it leaves its audiences. He stated that an audience of realism "hangs its brains up in the cloakroom along with its coat." To counter this Brecht developed Epic Theatre, which used many different forms and structures to remind the audience that they were at the theatre and what they were watching was not real. Epic Theatre was devised to teach the audience to criticize the injustices and inequalities of modern life. Based mainly on Marxist ideals, it focused on bringing to light social issues regarding the working class. The devices of Epic theatre would help make sure his audience didn't become too emotionally involved. He didn't want his audiences to believe what was happening on stage and get drawn in, as this would cause them to stop thinking and stop questioning the message the performance was trying to deliver. He wanted his audience to keep an emotional distance from what was happening on the stage in order break the 'illusion' of theatre.
Certain alienation techniques (The ‘Verfremdungseffekt’) were used in order to break the emotional link between the actors and the audience. Alienation simply means to make the audience aware that they are in a theatre watching a play. It challenges the audience to think about the message which is being delivered on stage. There were many different devices Brecht used in order to create this. Songs and chants, actors stepping out of character to comment upon the action, the scene moving into either the future or past, actors playing multiple characters and strange movement were all common techniques used in order to create alienation. The use of simple costumes and simple props helped to stop the audience getting attached to the characters and their surroundings. The changing of scenes would take place in front of the audience without the use of a curtain, allowing the illusion of theatre to be broken. The actors were never to become the characters they were to portray, they were instead to try and represent that character.
Brechts play The Measures Taken (DIE MASSNAHME, 1930) incorporates many of his alienation techniques. Throughout this Lehrstücke (learning play) no character is given a real name. The characters are instead named by what they do, as shown in the passage below. By not giving the characters any particular name it helps break the emotional link between the actors and the audience. It does this by continuously reminding the audience that they are watching a play.
THE FOUR AGITATORS: We repeat the analysis THE FIRST AGITATOR: We must get him across the border, we said. THE SECOND AGITATOR: But the masses are in the streets.
Another important alienation technique used in The Measures Taken is the characters introducing themselves before stepping into a scene. As seen in the passage below, introducing your character to the audience by stating who you are let’s the audience know exactly what role you play in the scene. Also, by doing this it allows the actors to play multiple characters without confusing the audience. By the textile factory workers introducing themselves altogether as a chorus it allows the audience to recognize that these workers have the same opinion and stand as one.
THE YOUNG COMRADE: Yes THE TEXTILE FACTORY WORKERS: We are workers in the textile factory. THE POLICEMAN: I’m a policeman. I’m paid by those in charge to combat dissatisfaction.
The technique of using the same actor for different characters was also used in The Measures Taken. Throughout the play the four agitators represent many different characters. This is shown in the passage below.
Two of the agitators represent the coolies, during which time they tie a cable to a wooden stake and pull the rope across their shoulders. One of them represent the young comrade, the other the overseer.
By having actors play multiple characters in this play it helps to stop the audience getting emotionally linked to the characters on stage, as it is a constant reminder to the audience that they are watching a play. It also gives a small group of actors the ability to tell do a play with many characters in it. As the actors are usually initially all dressed in black a slight costume change can easily signify the actor is now playing a different character.
Another very effective alienation technique used in The Measures Taken is the use of song.
THE MERCHANT: After we’ve eaten we can visit the arms room. But now I’ll sing you my favourite song.
(The merchant sings ‘The Song Of Commodity)
Music and Singing feature heavily in Brechts work as it would suddenly break the flow of the play, thus alienating the audience from the action on stage. This is a constant reminder to the audience that they are watching a play. As music has a strong emotional impact on us it is also a very effective way in which to deliver a message. The message delivered in ‘The Song Of Commodity’ was that the merchant was just using his slaves or ‘coolies’ in order to gain greater profit. It showed the lack of understanding the merchant had for everything, except money and profit.
Brecht’s work was not successful in achieving what he desired it to achieve. He wanted to use the theatre to change the world and spread the Marxist belief of workers overthrowing businesses and government and taking control themselves. His message however did not reach the people he wanted it to; the working class, the party and the east. It was instead seen by those he claimed to detest; the poets, the intellectuals and the west. Through not gaining the admiration of his target audience there was very little social action taken as a result of Brecht’s plays.
Brecht’s techniques were successful however in that he created a very popular form of theatre which is still being used to this day, such as in Laboites production of 48 Shades Of Brown. Certain techniques Brecht developed are evident throughout this production. These techniques include slow motion, freezing of scenes and actors stepping out of character to directly address the audience. There are many more plays that incorporate Brecht’s techniques, similarly to 48 Shades Of Brown. Modern Brecht plays have been translated into forty two different languages and played all over the world . Although Brecht was not successful in what he desired to achieve, he is still a great success for his development of a new and radical theory of drama, Epic Theatre.
