Brecht's plays reflected a perspective in favor of communist societies. Living in Germany in 1933 when Hitler came into power, he was forced to flee the country to live in Sweden, Denmark, and the Soviet Union. Interestingly enough, a majority of his plays were anti-Nazi. During the Cold War, Brecht was living in the USA, where he was accused of being a communist. Though he denied it, he ended up leaving America to East Germany.
"Brecht attempted to develop a new approach to the the theatre. He tried to persuade his audiences to see the stage as a stage, actors as actors and not the traditional make-believe of the theatre. Brecht required detachment, not passion, from the observing audience. The purpose of the play was to awaken the spectators' minds so that he could communicate his version of the truth."Wishing for distance rather than emotional engagement, Brecht often used tools like signs to disengage the spectators from believing in the fourth wall. Contrasting to the more common dramatic theatre, epic theatre looks to achieve a spectators perspective, analyzing what happens on stage igniting the will to take action. The distancing of the spectator from the play allows for the rejection of entertainment at face value.
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Source: http://www.usq.edu.au/artsworx/schoolresources/goodwomanofszechwan/dramaticvsepic
Brechtian stage design and lighting differ much from the norms of dramatic theatre due to the analytic nature. Brecht saw the need to light the stage brightly at all times, and since there was no concept of "mood" or emotional attachment, lighting in that sense was not necessary. The creation of illusion wasn't needed through lighting, or on the stage at all for that matter. Any sort of distraction that may emotionally pull an audience member into the characters emotional side was avoided on stage.Source: http://www.usq.edu.au/artsworx/schoolresources/goodwomanofszechwan/dramaticvsepic
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