The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht: Theory and Practice

1994 ◽  
pp. 26-41
Author(s):  
Ronald Speirs
Keyword(s):  
Bertolt Brecht ◽  
Theory And Practice

The tamṣīr of Epic Theatre: A Case-Study of Alfred Faraǧ

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Daniela Potenza
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Bertolt Brecht ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
The World ◽  
The Sixties ◽  
Epic Theatre

Abstract Bertolt Brecht is generally regarded as the most influential and politically engaged left-wing playwright of the Twentieth century. Traces of his theory and practice are to be found around the world, including in the works of important Egyptian playwrights of the sixties such as Yūsuf Idrīs, Naǧīb Surūr and Alfred Faraǧ. Brecht’s work and ideas did permeate the theory and practice of the three Egyptian playwrights, though even if they all shared a commitment to social issues, critics agree that the Egyptians ignored the philosophical essence of Brecht’s devices or did not have a clear ideological grounding – thus concluding that their understanding of Brecht was partial. Through a study of epic aspects of Alfred Faraǧ’s theatre, this article aims instead to highlight the transformations operated by the playwright to mould epic theatre to fit his own ideology, his aesthetic and the local context in the logic of tamṣīr (Egyptianisation).

scholarly journals Playwriting and dialectical thought

1983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Μαρία Γερμανού
Keyword(s):  
Historical Materialism ◽  
Bertolt Brecht ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Dialectical Materialism ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
History Plays ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
The Spectator ◽  
Dramatic Practice

This thesis examines the use of dialectic in the work of John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy, Edward Bond and Steve Gooch and arguesfor the possibility of applying the philosophy of historical and dialectical , materialism and the concept of political contradiction to the construction of meaning in playwriting. Bertolt Brecht who initiated such a dramatic theory and practice is not used as a constant point of reference nor is my focus on a detailed comparison between him and the other writers. Having located his historical and dramatic limitations for present-day practice and after a critical and historical account of his reception in England, my concern is to examine how his idea of a theatre of dialectical and historical materialism was ignored, distorted, adopted and developed by these four playwrights. Conceiving theatre writing not as an innocent reflection of "objective" reality but as a conscious political and aesthetic practice capable of transforming the raw material found in life, my focus is on the ways by which this transformation takes place and on the ends it serves. To fulfill this function I examine the position that the relationship between the texts and the writers' ideological, aesthetic and political views occupies within the dominant ones. Within this context what runs through the thesis is a criticism of certain dominant ideas: that of humanism and idealism, the ideological implications of classic realism and the use of class and gender reductionism as the most recurrent drawbacks of a theatre practice which, instead of reproducing the established aesthetic, and ideological framework, aims to question it and suggest different possibilities. The criticism aims to locate the potential or the limitations of certain dramatic practices and political positions, develop them, or, when possible, suggest alternatives. On this basis the main issues I deal with concern popular and workingclass theatre, the use of character and caricature, history plays,propaganda and agitation, the representation of women, the position of the spectator and the relationships that define the theatre apparatus. As such the thesis is intended as an initial effort to build a theory for a dramatic practice concerning certain central issues that theatre workers confront when they want to use theatre as an agent of social change.

scholarly journals Alfred Döblin vs. Bertolt Brecht: reception of the genre Lehrstück in A. Döblin’s drama

2021 ◽  
pp. 124-131
Author(s):  
Larysa Fedorenko
Keyword(s):  
Initial Period ◽  
Bertolt Brecht ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Literary Analysis ◽  
Marriage And Family ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Financial Status ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Alfred Döblin ◽  
Historical Comparative

The article is devoted to the drama of Bertolt Brecht and Alfred Döblin. On the material of A. Döblin’s play «The Marriage» analyzes the typological factors of the genre Lehrstück («learning» or «didactic» play), which became widespread as Brecht’s authorial innovation. The purpose of the article: on the basis of comparative analysis of Lehrstück by B. Brecht and the play «The Marriage» by A. Döblin to explore their formal and poetic factors and to conclude about the common and distinctive features of artistic and aesthetic intention of the genre Lehrstück in the works of both playwrights. The source base of the research is represented by literary studies of Günter Hartung, Jan Knopf, Klaus-Dieter Krabiel, Heiner Müller, Rainer Steinweg, Bernhard Klaus Tragelehn, Florian Vaßen, Oleksandr Chirkov. To achieve this goal, the following research methods were used: cultural-historical, comparative-historical, structuralsemantic, descriptive, literary analysis and synthesis. The study presents the main stages of the genre in the work of Brecht and focuses on the initial period of origin of the «learning» or «didactic» play, which is also relevant to the drama of A. Döblin. The play «The Marriage» contains three scenes, a prologue and an interlude. Thematically, all the scenes are united by a common plot core – showing the breakup of marriage and family due to external circumstances. Family and marital relationships fail regardless of social status or financial status. Results and conclusions: The article proves that A. Döblin’s play «The Marriage» has a number of aesthetic and typological features that make it related to Brecht’s «didactic» plays: rejection of theatrical scenery, props, that is, everything that creates a theatrical illusion; the presence of epic elements and music as components of drama; use of text and illustrative projections, songs, recitatives with musical accompaniment; presence of a speaker (commentator) and a choir; the inclusion of the author’s commentary, which states the theme and issues of the drama, as well as explains how the play is constructed, emphasizes the probable educational, educational, instructive influence; the presence of director’s remarks that explain the options for the stage embodiment of the play; the ability to improvise, modify the text of the play and release individual scenes according to the purpose and type of production. A generalized analysis of the existing typological characteristics gives grounds to consider the play «The Marriage» by A. Döblin as a conceptual imitation and / or continuation of the theory and practice of the author’s genre Lehrstück B. Brecht.

Addressing the Content Vocabulary With Core: Theory and Practice for Nonliterate or Emerging Literate Students

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 74-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Witkowski ◽  
Bruce Baker
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Written Communication ◽  
Academic Tasks ◽  
Meaningful Participation ◽  
Core Theory ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Core Vocabulary ◽  
Personal Success

Abstract In the early elementary grades, the primary emphasis is on developing skills crucial to future academic and personal success—specifically oral and written communication skills. These skills are vital to student success as well as to meaningful participation in the classroom and interaction with peers. Children with complex communication needs (CCN) may require the use of high-performance speech generating devices (SGDs). The challenges for these students are further complicated by the task of learning language at a time when they are expected to apply their linguistic skills to academic tasks. However, by focusing on core vocabulary as a primary vehicle for instruction, educators can equip students who use SGDs to develop language skills and be competitive in the classroom. In this article, we will define core vocabulary and provide theoretical and practical insights into integrating it into the classroom routine for developing oral and written communication skills.

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