English 370, Fall 1996

Selections from Brecht on Theatre, trans., John Willett (1964)

The drama of our time still follows Aristotle's recipe for achieving what he calls catharsis (the spiritual cleansing of the spectator). In aristotelian drama the plot leads the hero into situations where he reveals his innermost being. All the incidents shown have the object of driving the hero into spiritual conflicts. It is a possibly blasphemous but quite useful comparison if one turns one's mind to the burlesque shows on Broadway, where the public, with yells of "Take it off!" forces the girls to expose their bodies more and more. The individual whose innermost being is thus driven into the open then of course comes to stand for Man with a capital M. Everyone (including every spectator) is then carried away by the momentum of the events portrayed, so that in a performance of Oedipus one has for all practical purposes an auditorium full of little Oedipuses, an auditorium full of Emperor Joneses for a performance of The Emperor Jones.

"Notes on Dramatic and Epic Theatre and Opera"

DRAMATIC THEATRE

plot
implicates the spectator in a stage situation
wears down his capacity for action
provides him with sensations
experience
the spectator is involved in something
suggestion
instinctive feelings are preserved
the spectator is in the thick of it, shares the experience
the human being is taken for granted
he is unalterable
eyes on the finish
one scene makes another
growth
linear development
evolutionary determinism
man as a fixed point
thought defines being
feeling

 EPIC THEATRE

narrative
turns the spectator into an observer, but
arouses his capacity for action
forces him to make decisions
picture of the world
he is made to face something
argument
brought to the point of recognition
the spectator stands outside, studies
the human being is the object of inquiry
he is alterable and able to alter
eyes on the course
each scene for itself
montage
in curves
jumps
man as a process
social being determines thought
reason

DRAMATIC OPERA

the music dishes up
music which heightens the text
music which proclaims the text
music which illustrates
music which paints the psychological situation
    EPIC OPERA

    the music communicates
    music which sets forth the text
    music which takes the text for granted
    which takes up a position
    which gives the attitude

Return to Session 24 || Return to Turbo370