quotes from Brecht:
"For of all the many sorts of representation of happenings between humans which the theatre has made since ancient times, and which have given entertainment despite their in correctness and improbability, there are even today and astonishing number that also give entertainment to us."
This for me shows how Brecht feels that theatre should be there to give a message to the audience that is watching it. I think that Brecht feels like there should be two separate types of theatre, one for entertainment and one specifically designed to deliver a message.
"That is the sort of theatre which we face in our operations, and so far it has been fully able to transmute our optimistic friends, whom we have called the children of the scientific era, into a cowed, credulous, hypnotized mass."
For me this shows Brecht's desire to provoke his audience through the theatre that he put on stage. His theatre should provoke his audience so much, so they want to go out after watching it and protest, or try to change society in some way that was brought on by watching Brecht's theatre.
"So let us march ahead! Away with all obstacles! Since we seem to have landed in a battle, let us fight! Have we not seen how disbelief can move mountains? Is it not enough that we should have found that something is being kept from us? Before one thing and another there hangs a curtain: let us draw it up!"
This shows how Brecht really felt that people should leave his shows feeling empowered, and wanting change. He wanted people to leave his plays and make a change, and not accept the world that they lived in. If they wanted to achieve something they had to take the reigns and do it themselves.
"so the choice of viewpoint is also a major element of the actor's art, and it has to be decided outside the theatre. Like the transformation of nature, that of society is a liberating act; and it is the joys of liberation which the theatre of a scientific age has got to convey."
This shows how Brecht did not want his actors to get too immersed in their characters. He wanted it to be very clear when they were in character and when they weren't. He would even make his actors step out of character on stage if he felt that helped to communicate his message.
"And the learning process must be coordinated so that the actor learns as the other actors are learning and develops his character as they are developing theirs. For the smallest social unit is not the single person but two people. In life to we develop one another."
This shows how Brecht though that his actors should treat their characters as a separate person, and always remember that they should not get immersed in the character, or try to 'become' the character. They should remain aware that they are putting on this character, and they should be able to drop their character at any moment.
"For of all the many sorts of representation of happenings between humans which the theatre has made since ancient times, and which have given entertainment despite their in correctness and improbability, there are even today and astonishing number that also give entertainment to us."
This for me shows how Brecht feels that theatre should be there to give a message to the audience that is watching it. I think that Brecht feels like there should be two separate types of theatre, one for entertainment and one specifically designed to deliver a message.
"That is the sort of theatre which we face in our operations, and so far it has been fully able to transmute our optimistic friends, whom we have called the children of the scientific era, into a cowed, credulous, hypnotized mass."
For me this shows Brecht's desire to provoke his audience through the theatre that he put on stage. His theatre should provoke his audience so much, so they want to go out after watching it and protest, or try to change society in some way that was brought on by watching Brecht's theatre.
"So let us march ahead! Away with all obstacles! Since we seem to have landed in a battle, let us fight! Have we not seen how disbelief can move mountains? Is it not enough that we should have found that something is being kept from us? Before one thing and another there hangs a curtain: let us draw it up!"
This shows how Brecht really felt that people should leave his shows feeling empowered, and wanting change. He wanted people to leave his plays and make a change, and not accept the world that they lived in. If they wanted to achieve something they had to take the reigns and do it themselves.
"so the choice of viewpoint is also a major element of the actor's art, and it has to be decided outside the theatre. Like the transformation of nature, that of society is a liberating act; and it is the joys of liberation which the theatre of a scientific age has got to convey."
This shows how Brecht did not want his actors to get too immersed in their characters. He wanted it to be very clear when they were in character and when they weren't. He would even make his actors step out of character on stage if he felt that helped to communicate his message.
"And the learning process must be coordinated so that the actor learns as the other actors are learning and develops his character as they are developing theirs. For the smallest social unit is not the single person but two people. In life to we develop one another."
This shows how Brecht though that his actors should treat their characters as a separate person, and always remember that they should not get immersed in the character, or try to 'become' the character. They should remain aware that they are putting on this character, and they should be able to drop their character at any moment.