- PPP : Brecht's Epic vs. Stanislavski's Dramatic .

Finding the "Happy-Medium":

Is it possible to mix epic theatre with dramatic theatre and still leave the audience reacting the way you envisioned? Is it possible to vacillate between the two theatre styles and end up at a final conclusion of neither one nor the other? What if this production were to be considered an “epic drama”? 

Within the production, the vacillation between communism and catholicity is explored. What if both communism and catholicity each possessed an opposing style of theatre? The catholic side would be dramatic, containing feelings, emotional connection, sympathy and understanding. Many of the theatre characteristics and styles related to the religious characters and scenes of the piece would reflect many of Stanislavski's theories.

The communist side would be rather cold and distant. The dictator, rather than being viewed as a person, is viewed as an object which Brechtian theatre encouraged. 

The production as a whole would lean slightly towards the dramatic side, containing a plot, wearing down the audience, but in turn contains aspects of epic theatre such as historification, providing a picture of the world leaving the audience in an analytical mindset as they leave the theatre, though they were emotionally engaged throughout the performance. Throughout the piece, the audience would be expected to experience the vacillation between the two theatre styles as well as the vacillation between the two ideologies within the storyline. The piece as a whole would be an extreme fluctuation of opinions, as vacillation was initially defined. 

How this would affect the acting:

Ultimately, this would split the actors into two specific groupings: one group epic, and one group dramatic. As a director, a different approach must be made in the coaching of each acting group. The main difference between the two styles is the aspect of "becoming'" the character. Stanislavski, the philosophical influence for the dramatic theatre group, would offer many coaching techniques to use in rehearsal. Brecht, on the other hand, would use exercises with his actors getting them to explain the choices the characters made. To become a narration of their mind rather than become emotionally intact with the character. With the characters reflecting communist principles, their acting would reflect the collective, whereas the actors reflecting catholic principles would reflect the individual. 

In the bigger picture, this will affect the audience to adhere to the anti-communist perspective of the storyline due to their affinity to the catholic side of things. With the communist portion reflecting characteristics of epic theatre, this will aid in showing the insanity that the dictator gives into. Giving such contrast between the two styles, it will be made clear to the audience the lack of emotional attachment intended for the dictator, whereas the audiences sympathetic responses to Person A will come with greater ease. The final scene, since at that point communism had fallen, will be done in only dramatic theatre, though the lack of dialogue will not engage the observer more than it had already engaged with the mix between the two. As a whole, the vacillation of styles in this epic drama will aid in the reinforcement of the overall concept that there can only be one.