Good Person of Szechwan ( )

Written in exile

Good Person of Szechwan ( ) Written in exile Collaboration with Ruth Berlau and Margarete Steffin

Good Person of Szechwan ( ) Written in exile Collaboration with Ruth Berlau and Margarete Steffin Music by Paul Dessau

Good Person of Szechwan ( ) Written in exile Collaboration with Ruth Berlau and Margarete Steffin Music by Paul Dessau Multi-art; collision of different arts

Kurt Weil, Mac the Knife (Three Penny Opera)

Good Person of Szechwan

Geographic estrangement: China

Source: Greek fable. Old couple, Philemon and Baucis, are the only ones who give shelter to disguised gods, who have come to test the goodness of humans

Good Person of Szechwan Geographic estrangement: China Fable:

Good Person of Szechwan Geographic estrangement: China Fable: simple structure

Good Person of Szechwan Geographic estrangement: China Fable: simple structure supernatural

Good Person of Szechwan Geographic estrangement: China Fable: simple structure supernatural moral conclusion

Good Person of Szechwan Geographic estrangement: China Fable: simple structure supernatural moral conclusion universal, not tied to specific location

Shen Te and Shui Ta played by same actor

Visible costume change: audience knows something the characters on stage don’t

Shen Te and Shui Ta played by same actor Visible costume change: audience knows something the other characters don’t Expert audience

Shen Te and Shui Ta played by same actor Visible costume change: audience knows something the other characters don’t Expert audience Estranged acting

Brecht on Chinese acting

No fourth wall

Brecht on Chinese acting No fourth wall Use of symbols

Brecht on Chinese acting No fourth wall Use of symbols visible scene changes

Brecht on Chinese acting No fourth wall Use of symbols visible scene changes “the actors openly choose those positions which will best show them off to the audience, just as if they were acrobats”

Estranged acting Western drama and Asia: non-naturalistic theater

Estranged acting Western drama and Asia: non-naturalistic theater Overt theatricality:

Estranged acting Western drama and Asia: non-naturalistic theater Overt theatricality: scene titles

Estranged acting Western drama and Asia: non-naturalistic theater Overt theatricality: scene titles direct address to audience

Berliner Ensemble, 1957

dramatic theater epic theater

suspenseprocess

dramatic theater epic theater suspenseprocess feelingreason

dramatic theater epic theater suspenseprocess feelingreason suggestionargument

dramatic theater epic theater suspenseprocess feelingreason suggestionargument experiencespicture of world

dramatic theater epic theater suspenseprocess feelingreason suggestionargument experiencespicture of world world unalterableworld alterable

dramatic theater epic theater suspenseprocess feelingreason suggestionargument experiencespicture of world world unalterableworld alterable individualsocial being

dramatic theater epic theater suspenseprocess feelingreason suggestionargument experiencespicture of world world unalterableworld alterable individualsocial being absorptionaction

Shen Te – Shui Ta Not psychological conflict (split personality)

Shen Te – Shui Ta Not psychological conflict (split personality), but conflicting social conditions

Shen Te – Shui Ta Not psychological conflict (split personality), but conflicting social conditions Goodness versus economic survival

Shen Te – Shui Ta Not psychological conflict (split personality), but conflicting social conditions Goodness versus economic survival under capitalism

Wang

Wang: mediating figure; go-between

compromise

Wang: mediating figure; go-between compromise Does it work?

Gods: guardians of goodness

They are ignorant of the real world

Gods: guardians of goodness They are ignorant of the real world They ignore economic relations

Gods: guardians of goodness They are ignorant of the real world They ignore economic relations or rather, they don’t want to interfere

Gods: guardians of goodness They are ignorant of the real world They ignore economic relations or rather, they don’t want to interfere: morality and economics are kept separate

Brecht wants to make connections, connect that which the gods want to keep separate

Trial scene

Street scene

“The Street Scene: A Basic Model for an Epic Theatre” “an eyewitness demonstrating to a collection of people how a traffic accident took place. The bystanders may not have observed what happened, or they may simply not agree with him, may “see things a different way”; the point is that the demonstrator acts the behavior of driver or victim or both in such a way that the bystanders are able to form on opinion about the accident.”

“The Street Scene: A Basic Model for an Epic Theatre” “an eyewitness demonstrating to a collection of people how a traffic accident took place. The bystanders may not have observed what happened, or they may simply not agree with him, may “see things a different way”; the point is that the demonstrator acts the behavior of driver or victim or both in such a way that the bystanders are able to form an opinion about the accident.”

Solution?

Get rid of the gods

Solution? Get rid of the gods Get rid of capitalism

Bruce Norris, The Low Road (2013)

Estrangement of capitalism

Norris, The Low Road Narrator: Adam Smith (epic theater)

Norris, The Low Road Narrator: Adam Smith (epic theater) Actors walk across stage with signs (titles)

Norris, The Low Road Narrator: Adam Smith (epic theater) Actors walk across stage with signs (titles) Overt theatricality

Norris, The Low Road Narrator: Adam Smith (epic theater) Actors walk across stage with signs (titles) Overt theatricality Play about economic relations:

Norris, The Low Road Narrator: Adam Smith (epic theater) Actors walk across stage with signs (titles) Overt theatricality Play about economic relations: distorted view of Smith through a character who articulates clichés about invisible hand, self interest, anti-charity

Norris, The Low Road Narrator: Adam Smith (epic theater) Actors walk across stage with signs (titles) Overt theatricality Play about economic relations: distorted view of Smith through a character who articulates clichés about invisible hand, self interest, anti-charity Second act: contemporary talk show about economics