Some of the differences we looked at in class concerning the two practitioners are very interesting for example we looked at how Brecht was committed to didactic theatre. He wanted his plays to teach. And he feared that if audiences were deeply scared, turned on, having a fit of giggles, or in any other emotional state, they would be distracted from thinking about the play's didactic message or argument. So his goal was to always remind the audience that they were watching a play. (This idea is often called "alienation," meaning that you're supposed to be standing apart from the story, thinking about it more coolly, rather than getting so emotionally wrapped up in it you confuse the protagonist with yourself. However unlike Brecht Stanislavsky's methods were not based on an interest in didacticism. Rather, Stanislavsky believed that, for instance, trying to act sad was too generalized. It would lead an actor towards cartoonish behavior that wasn't convincing. His focus was on goals. (Some actors call goals "intentions.") At each moment in a play, he believed an actor should be trying to achieve some goal in the most naturalistic way possible.
One technique that Brecht used was the use of Gestus which we also practiced throughout the term. This is described as a clear character gesture or movement used by the actor that captures a moment or attitude rather than delving into emotion. Gestus is also gesture with social comment. For example, a soldier saluting as he marches across a stage is a gesture. But if he was saluting as he marched over a stage strewn with dead bodies, it would be Gestus as a social comment about the type of person he represents. In class we did a demonstration to prove this where we had a 'general' saluting his soldiers and they salute back, then we repeated it so that when the general saluted the soldiers saluted back and then lied down on the floor dead. The second was more effective.
We also talked about 'the v effect' in lesson which was another brechtian techniques commonly used in his theatre. This is what i previously mentioned about alienating or distancing the audience however it still works to fourth wall, the imaginary wall between the actors and audience which keeps them as observers. They are active members of the theatrical experience as they are kept thinking throughout, not switching off. The different types of methods when using 'the v effect' is also something that we discussed in class and some of them are as follows:
- Narration Narration is used to remind the audience that what they’re watching is a presentation of a story. Sometimes the narrator will tell us what happens in the story before it has happened.
- Direct address Speaking directly to the audience breaks the fourth wall and destroys any illusion of reality.
- Using placards A placard is a sign or additional piece of written information presented onstage. Using placards might be as simple as holding up. What’s important is that the information doesn’t just comment upon the action but deepens our understanding of it.a card or banner. Multimedia or a PowerPoint slideshow can also be used for this effect.
- Singing and dancing is a good way to ensure that the audience sees the theatre and are reminded of the fact they are watching a play. Often in Brechtian theatre the style of the music and the lyrics jar, they don’t seem to fit together in style. This distances the audience further.
- Montage A montage is a series of short self-contained scenes grouped immediately after each other whose juxtaposition or contrast highlights the important issues with absolute clarity. This idea of separate scenes also allows for a focus on minute details if the situation of the play demands it.
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