Bertolt brecht epic theatre

Theatrical genre

Epic theatre (German: episches Theater) is a theatrical movement that arose in the early to mid-20th century from the theories and practice of a number of theatre practitioners who responded to the political climate of the time through the creation of new political dramas.

Epic theatre is not meant to refer to the scale or the scope of the work, but rather to the form that it takes.^[1] Epic theatre emphasizes the audience's perspective and reaction to the piece through a variety of techniques that deliberately cause them to individually engage in a different way.^[2] The purpose of epic theatre is not to encourage an audience to suspend their disbelief, but rather to force them to see their world as it is.

History

The term "epic theatre" comes from Erwin Piscator who coined it during his first year as director of Berlin's Volksbühne (1924–27).^[3] Piscator aimed to encourage playwrights to address issues relate