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Theater of alienation, also known as epic or dialectical theater, uses live performance to comment on social and political issues. Bertolt Brecht created the concept, using techniques such as breaking conventions and using unrealistic sets and props to keep the audience focused on the ideas rather than the characters. The goal is for the audience to view the play critically, rather than emotionally, and to prevent assumptions about the humanity of the characters. Other playwrights, such as Thornton Wilder, Dario Fo, and Caryl Churchill, have also used these principles.
Theater of alienation, also called epic theater or dialectical theater, is a form of theater based on the principle of using live performance as a means of social and political commentary. Bertolt Brecht, a German playwright, is credited with uniting the theatrical traditions of the past to arrive at the concept of the theater of alienation. It is often described as anti-realism, because it does not attempt to portray life as it is, but rather uses the medium of theater to present social topics and ideas.
The cohesive concept of epic theater was born through the work of Bertolt Brecht. In his plays, he tried to forcefully remind the audience that they were watching a show. In contrast to the suspension of disbelief associated with realistic portrayals, Brecht never intended the audience to believe they were emotionally in tune with the characters. By breaking conventions, such as having the actor speak directly to the audience, Brecht created what is referred to as the “alienation effect”. This allowed the audience to view the play critically, rather than emotionally.
Brecht and other advocates believe that the key concept of Theater of Alienation is that audiences view the play critically. Unlike Stanislavsky’s system of realism, alienation games seek to destroy any possibility of escapism. Rather than leaving it up to the audience to figure out what a character’s motivation for action is, Theater of Alienation seeks to make their choices explicit and vocal. Characters often mention other things they chose not to do in order to perform a particular action. This acting and writing technique tries to prevent assumptions about the humanity of the characters. This type of theater tries to show that the characters are not people, they are ideas and manifestations of themes.
The sets in epic theater are often unrealistic, suggesting more than showing a particular location. Conversely, props are often prominent features that portray themes or ideas and help indicate a character’s status or profession. Intertitles or projections are often used to provide brief summaries of the off-stage action. This further takes the audience away from believing in the comedy world and strives to keep them focused on the ideas rather than the characters.
To keep melodrama or emotion from taking over the audience, comedic songs and music are often used to deliver emotional detail. The effect of this practice can be extremely jarring on an audience unfamiliar with the theater of alienation. It often leads to upbeat, upbeat tunes with haunting lyrics. One of the most famous songs of epic theater is Kurt Weill’s “Mac the Knife,” which features jazzy, upbeat music combined with the story of a deranged killer.
In addition to Brecht, several playwrights have produced works using the principles of the Theater of Alienation. Thornton Wilder is believed to have intended The Skin of Our Teeth to be epic theatre. Modern playwrights Dario Fo and Caryl Churchill are also believed to have written plays following Brecht’s theories. Brecht’s epic plays are many and include The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage and Her Children, and The Resistible Rise of Arthur Ui.
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