Space and Time in Epic Theater [Hardcover]

Sarah Bryant-Bertail (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2002 | ISBN-10: 1571131868 | ISBN-13: 978-1571131867

Bertolt Brecht and the director Erwin Piscator developed epic theater in the 1920s because they found Western realism limited to the single perspective of an individual, and thus unable to confront the new realities: technological warfare, revolution, the metropolis, and the mass media, among others. The epic stage juxtaposed the old media of actors and scenery with new media, including film, photography, and electronic sound. Bryant-Bertail provides analyses of theatrical productions in the epic tradition from before, during, and after Brecht's lifetime: Hasek's The Good Soldier Schwejk/I> directed by Piscator; Mother Courage written and directed by Brecht; Lenz's The Tutor directed by Brecht; Ibsen's Peer Gynt in productions directed by Peter Stein and Rustom Bharucha; Büchner's Leon and Lena (& Lenz) directed by JoAnne Akalaitis; and Les Atrides (The House of Atreus) from Aeschylus and Euripides, directed by Ariane Mnouchkine. Bryant-Bertail shows that epic theater's relevance for politically engaged artists lies in its discovery that history, fate, and human nature are spatio-temporal constructs that may be reconstructed on stage.Sarah Bryant-Bertail is associate professor in the School of Drama at the University of Washington.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Presents semiotics with a human face.... The discussions of individual productions are good and useful. --Choice

The author blends production details, historical contexts, acting method, and postmodern theory to produce an excellent, detailed portrayal of epic theater in practice.... Bryant-Bertail'sinterpretations of performances are wonderful, fascinating explorations... --Monatshefte

... offers an informative account of the origins and practice of epic theatre and its developments since Brecht's work at the Berliner Ensemble. ARBITRIUM The intricate relationships between text and performance are especially well articulated and insightful... COLLOQUIA GERMANICA --Various

About the Author

Stephanie Beswick is professor of history at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She was born in Khartoum, Sudan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 255 pages
• Publisher: Camden House (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571131868
• ISBN-13: 978-1571131867
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,205,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I want it..., May 6, 2010

By 

Heather L. Davidson "leann687" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sudan's Blood Memory: The Legacy of War, Ethnicity, and Slavery in South Sudan (Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora, V. 17) (Hardcover)

I had Prof Beswick for a Non-Western History class (Hist 198). She knows what she's talking about, in fact, it's hard to keep up at times. I wish it weren't so expensive so I could buy it. I'd love to read it.