Introduction
'Brecht neither divorced theory from staging nor allowed it to dominate; his theory was embodied in the rehearsal on the stage floor' (Mumford, 2009, p.S 1 ).
Imagine you're in a thrust stage space when exploring Brecht.
Brecht's interest in making social and political pictures, such as tableaux for the spectators, is the focus of the space. In a thrust setting you can clearly observe and demonstrate your Brechtian learning.
Brecht's theory and practice challenges our social world through the images we create of ourselves and this type of rehearsal space helps to examine social behaviours.
When exploring this unit you are going to use the term 'rehearsal' for each lesson. These rehearsals should be fun as well as thoughtful and thought provoking as in the Brechtian style.
Recommended research project
Complete a small research project into the Weimar Republic 1920 to 1950, WW2, and the fundamentals of Marxism prior to the introduction to reading the play.
Activity
Walk around the room as yourself
Observe how you walk
Observe how you sit
Pay particular attention to your mannerisms
What are you hearing? Are you listening to another person?
How do you greet another person?
How do you laugh?
How do you respond to an order?
Personal behaviors and their roles in society
Brecht thought that a person's role in society and their attitude (i.e. their mental and bodily responses) was conditioned by time, class and upbringing. He also thought that society was a place for critical reflection, and his theatre was not just to explain the world but to change or challenge it (Mumford, 2009). These ideologies are evident in Mother Courage and her Children.
Mumford, M. (2009). Bertolt Brecht - Routledge Performance Practitioners. London: Routledge.