Brechtian Techniques

One of my favorite books is BRECHT FOR BEGINNERS

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I guess it would be good for me to explain why I need this. I have a final project coming up in my drama theory class, and my professor hasn't really been very clear about what you can do, other than that you can... do whatever you want. Most of the people in my class are actors, so they're going to stage scenes and stuff. So, I can do a presentation or a demonstration of something, and she mentioned Brechtian techniques as an idea, when I mentioned that I was a bit lost because I've terrible stage-fright.

I suppose I could pick a few and then ask for volunteers in actually doing a demonstration that I dictate, or something -- for those of you who know how these techniques work, does that sound viable? And where would I look for the things I need?

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That does, thanks. I'm not sure why it was suggested, then, but that's an entirely different issue. :-/

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Updated On: 4/10/06 at 11:06 PM

You don't have to apologize; I appreciate the help!

We did read selections from Brecht on Theatre, but none of the assigned are particularly useful to this cause, I don't think.

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Em, it was 20 years ago, and I remember a great scene of Three Penny - very dark and lights on the audience. What about the end of Rent - could there be a Brecht theme there to explore?

Why does Mark turn the projector on the audience - an essay?

You could have actors create an image of the gest of this poem...

‘Travelling in a Comfortable Car’ by BRECHT
Travelling in a comfortable car
Down a rainy road in the country
We saw a ragged fellow at nightfall
Signal to us for a ride, with a low bow.
We had a roof and we had room and we drove on
And we heard me say, in a peevish voice: No
We can’t take anyone with us.
We had gone on a long way, perhaps a day’s march
When suddenly I was shocked by this voice of mine
This behaviour of mine and this
Whole world.


Discuss the "lesson" of his poems
"Changing the Wheel" by BRECHT
I sit by the roadside
The driver changes the wheel.
I do not like the place where I have come from.
I do not like the place where I am going to.
Why with impatience do I
Watch him changing the wheel?

THE GEST
In order to fully reveal the episode, the moment that the deal is concluded or fails must be made clear onstage. Notice the root of 'gest' is the same as that of gesture. A gest implies the movement of the offer, an exchange, or a rejection. A gest always involves a human gesture, an interaction between at least two people. For Brecht, all gasts had social significance, which implies politics and commerce.

episode- an event played out that is understood by the audience independently of the play

transaction- the underlying structure od behavior; trade: something is bought or sold

caption- the summary of the event in the episode

demonstration- making the episode clear to the audiece

gest- the moment between people when the trade is made or denied

the object lesson- use of a physical object to demonstrate the gest (can include a prop, ie the wheel, money, etc)

alienation- making the familiar strange-distancing for critical watching- the verfremdungseffekt

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Thanks, Necromancer.

heh, I could try that, lwyr. Good for effect....

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