Theatre Log Book Term 2

Brecht was a left wing Marxist. The Term Marxism came from a man called 'Karl Marx', and it is the similar belief to socialism which states that there should be no hierarchy in society which may prevent someone's equal share in wage, especially for the working class which it is believed that the capitalist society takes their ideas and makes it their own leaving them with nothing. Brecht was against anything that reinforces the capitalist laws.

Capitalism - They believe in the business cycle, that you should be able to keep what you earn and it shouldn't have to be shared out with anyone that doesn't work for their own money. This could be argued however, that due to environment, not everyone will get the same life chances/opportunities.

Brecht's 'Verfremdungseffekt' relates to the Marxist ideology because, it almost foreshadows the situation that the working class were separated in class caste because of capitalism. Brechtian theater highlights the idea that the actor is separated from the character, and this is shown by alienating, or doing something unusual. Marxism suggests that the significant creation of human nature is creativity. He said that 'The work produced by man is not yours', e.g someone else more powerful owns your own creation. Therefore, he believed that the working class should rise up and abstain against capitalism together.
Brechtian's technique is very much political which relates to Marxism in many ways. Relating back to the idea that Karl Marx believed the working class should stand and rise together, Bertolt was against the emotion exchanges between audience and actors. Bertolt Brecht wanted his style of Theater to leave the audience with questions and to make them think for themselves. He wanted them to leave thinking that if you want something you should rise up and go for it, instead of sitting in a traditional theater coming to watch a show leaving the audience feeling sorry for themselves as to why their lives aren't perfect like the show. This also relates to the fact that Brecht was against plots in stories, because real life isn't planned out in a sequence, but instead theater should be 'epic'! Again, this all relates to another fact that Bertolt was against bourgeois- which is the belonging to or characteristics of the middle class, typically with references to it's perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.    

Bourgeois use over time.

Contrary to this, Brecht challenged Aristotle's ideas (a Greek philosopher) whom believed that good theater should have unity of time and place. Also, he believed that they should all have a linear structure.   

Aristotle

Aristotle's ideas lasted until the 20th century. These ideas are more or less the naturalism technique which Aristotle believed in. And he says that the audience have to suspend their belief to be able to engaged and believe in the story. Brecht challenged this idea of theater and he 'believes theater should be epic', meaning non-linear , with scenes that don't effect another scene therefore they all have their own story. Brecht believed in breaking down the fourth wall and sustaining their disbelief. The way Brecht achieved this was by: being harsh (no technological effects during performances, everything is done by the actors), he did things opposite to traditional theater, (such as alienating the audience), he used projections (where the actors may read out stage directions, or even describing what they are acting), direct address was used, distancing (so the audience remembered that it was always just a performance), he also included themes that related to everybody (opposite to bourgeois), he also blurred the boundaries between life and theater, leaving the audience with questions at the end of a performance.