Defining modernism through the theories and practices of Reinhardt and Brecht

Abstract

In this dissertation overarching characteristics within modern theatre will be defined through the theories and practices of Max Reinhardt and Bertolt Brecht. First and foremost, this dissertation offers a historical contextualisation to the practices of these two practitioners, based on factors that includes antisemitism, hyperinflation, and the technological revolution. Reinhardt’s and Brecht’s theories and practices are dealt with in Chapters 2 and 3 respectively. Their respective vision of the theatre and acting will be analysed, with an emphasis on their rejection of naturalism and the way that this brought new perspectives towards theatrical practices. Reinhardt’s vision of the theatre as a ‘festive event’, which emphasises the integration of actors with the spectators, led him to introduce theatricality on stage, even though he believed that the actor is the most significant element when it comes to theatre-making. On the other hand, through the influence of Marxism, Brecht perceived the theatre as a tool which could produce a change in society. Therefore, he experimented with epic theatre to trigger the spectators to think critically about current socio-political circumstances. Key to Brecht’s theatre were the defamiliarization effect and the Gestus technique, which the dissertation will discuss accordingly. To conclude, contrasting and similar characteristics between their respective theories and practices will be discussed within the attempt to define modernism.