Bertolt Brecht in New York September 8th, 2009
German playwright Bertolt Brecht did not receive tremendous popularity or success in the United States during his lifetime. He arrived in the country during his self imposed exile from Germany, which occurred during the rise of Hitler and the takeover of nazis and fascism. However, Brecht has had plays successfully staged in New York, and through the years he has increased in world popularity. He has also been recognized as being one of the major theatre innovators and theorists of the 20th century. He is responsible for changing much of how plays are written and produced, and formed many of his theories in direct opposition to the standard dramatic form of acting and design. Three Penny Opera was his most commercially successful play and was recently revived on Broadway and starred Cyndi Lauper as the Pirate Jenny and Alan Cumming as Macheath. It has received at least 7 productions in New York either on Broadway or Off Broadway.
Mother Courage and Her Children is one of Brecht’s most critically respected plays and it also received a recent New York revival. The production occurred in 2006 and starred Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. It was directed by George C. Wolfe as part of the New York Shakespeare in the Park series. Brecht was primarily known for his development of the genre of theatre he called Epic. This included the main component of Alienation, which was intended to reorient the audience in its perception and response to the play. The acting was also Epic and intended to support the Alienation response. This was structured to counter the growing genre of realism, which Brecht thought promoted apathy in audiences. And while his plays continue to provide a challenge to directors and actors, even to audiences, he is definitely one of the most respected theatrical practitioners of the 20th century. Today, tourists staying in the NY hotels are eager to see a production of one of his plays.
Related posts:
- Posted by Cliff
- Tagged Travel
Leave a Comment