Bertolt Brecht and Epic Theater: Crash Course Theater #44

Are you ready to learn something about the world? Then you're ready for Bertolt Brecht, and his ideas about Epic Theater. Brecht wanted to lean into the idea of theater as a tool to upset and educate the world about stuff like the struggles of the working class and the problematic aspects of capitalism. He wanted to SHOCK people into seeing the world as it is and taking action, rather than merely entertain audiences. But, he messed up, and wrote some pretty entertaining stories, with some really catchy music integrated into it. And do, people ended up whistling Mack the Knife instead of throwing off the shackles of an oppressive social order. To be fair, it is a catchy tune. Today you're going to learn about Brecht, Epic Theater, and a little bit about the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. Because those jerks hauled Brecht up in 1948 to shake him down about whether or not he was a communist.
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[@StephaneBura]

I swear, this is the best Crash Course series in years. And I don't even really like theater. Bravo!

[@ElmerBBW]

It's Mike. He is, like, the bestest.

[@auntmanda6157]

Best one since Mike hosted the Mythology series

[@ConriDubhghail]

3:49 "There's no crying in Dialectical Materialism" is a quote I shall henceforth use completely out of context to befuddle those foolish enough to listen to me.

[@christiaanwinkelmeijer5464]

Great video, only poor timing. I had a test on Brecht three days ago.😂😂

[@PlannedObsolescence]

Christiaan winkelmeijer Was it difficult?

[@christiaanwinkelmeijer5464]

Neanderthal Cave Becky not really if you prepared well enough. But this video would have definitely helped.

[@joanne-claresimpson8885]

I have a performance evaluation tommorow and i have to write up my essay!

[@DocEonChannel]

"There's no crying in dialectical materialism" is my takeaway from this. :D

[@uefets]

My favorite theater writer! I think I've read all of his plays but my favorite must be "The good person of setzhuan". I read it about once a year or so and finally managed to see it at a theatre last summer. I'm so glad you included part of the epilogue in this video!

[@lhfirex]

All the Brecht info is great, but I have to say, animated John and Hank Green in a boxing match is the highlight for me.

[@alexisea]

I like to think of Brecht as the Lemony Snicket of theatre

[@jukeboxnotes7873]

In school we had a toy bear called Lemony Snicket

[@hallowf13]

Brecht is my practitioner for my A-level exam, and this whole series is super useful!

[@aidaA.951]

Nooo my Mother Courage quiz was a week ago

[@RalphDratman]

This made me think about Seth MacFarlane and Family Guy. MacFarlane's characters often seem to be "gesturing" or "showing Lear" rather than being fully engaged in their parts. The interjection of non-contextual (or meta-contextual) irony seems to occur every few seconds in Family Guy. I think it's fair to suggest that Brecht and other European playwrights have a noticeable influence on our animated TV shows.

[@faerieprincess1232]

Wow, you managed to make a ten minute video about Brecht without explicit reference to Marxism! Wow! Wow! Why! Wow!

[@FlosBlog]

Well, it must have been clear to any viewer. McCarthy didn't invite him for supper.

[@giatonpeonta8071]

@@FlosBlog in contrast to many people called by the committee for not being "patriotic" enough, Brecht was literally a communist, so it should have been mentioned explicitly. he used the words "dialectic materialism" but no need to be implicit and avoid saying "marxist or "communist". and there is a difference between the first and the last two.

[@maddyhide7371]

This was really helpful and very information packed im really glad i found this video!

[@sana9752]

I appreciate the pace of the lecture.

[@connerfields4753]

Every time you come out with an episode, I'm like yay, I'm not demanding too much for an episode to not come out. I'm pretty happy.

[@BThings]

Mr. Miracle in the Thought Bubble is the highlight of my day ☺️

[@crocsqueen1474]

I loved this! I don't know if all the jokes landed, but there was a charm about them that made it... better that they didn't land? I love it.

[@ChessMasteryOfficial]

*Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked. %*

[@roryokane5907]

Loved this episode. Especially the Greens boxing, and the Brechtian explanation at the end being cut off. :)

[@Mia-fx4ei]

Him: Brecht died in 1956. Me and my notes: hmm well what about the other 9 minutes

[@Kgabo_Tauatsoala]

Obsessed with this channel.

[@JinJinDoe]

I wrote about the plays that were influenced by Brechtian theatre. Love the episode!

[@Marshal_Rock]

Yesssss! Next week finally!

[@mercymirembentangaare2146]

Great insights! Thanks

[@starscape09]

Mr. Miracle is a fun god

[@eduardoramirezjr4403]

An even bigger hit was the pop standard version of “Mack The Knife” sung by Bobby Darren😎

[@MKPiatkowski]

Love the ending!

[@beequeen9228]

Thanks for this video

[@DougOfTheAntarctic]

Thumbs up, because the narrator is very good, and no french words were harmed (for once.)

[@cathytrg8078]

So coooool! Need more videos about German writers 🇩🇪😍

[@sofiaelizabeth2010]

Great video!

[@bharatifalari6128]

Simply Brilliant!!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@171QA]

I remember reading Mother Courage.

[@SFKelvin]

I did a Freshman Seminar intensive on Brecht's "Galileo" in 1998 at UC Berkeley. I guess I'm coming round to it more, although I was always more of an Isherwood kid.

[@tracemonky36]

Verfremdungseffekt, mein Lieblingswort aus dem Deutschunterricht.

[@FlosBlog]

I paused the video and wondered for half an hour on the difference between Verfremdung and Entfremdung :D

[@ansmariaxavier2150]

Thankq very much

[@mojosbigsticks]

Mike Rugnetta - both educational AND entertaining. Take that Brecht!

[@Dayglodaydreams]

If you can, you should do Theater of the Oppressed. It comes in a transitional period between modernism and contemporary (post-modern? meta-modern?) theater. It is a major school of non-comedic theater.

[@ms.rstake_1211]

I knew I would learn more about Brecht than I already knew. How do learn so much in less than a quarter of an hour.

[@kitkatgaming345original7]

Good I had to do a GCSE drama project on this man and this helped SOOOO much. by the way I got an A for it. THANKS

[@hanguangjunpei]

Was the project a performance? Could I ask you some questions?

[@kitkatgaming345original7]

I did a presentation on him but I wasn’t involved in the performance

[@shkelzenberisha3254]

I'd suggest an episode on Edward Bond's approach to Theater!

[@oliviafowler3823]

I love Crash Course I use it for history and now drama !!! Please do a video on Athol Fugard !!!

[@doobief03]

Broadway doe? Also these are all amazing.

[@geoffreywinn4031]

Educational!

[@benjaminbone4248]

Stan!! I missed you Stan.

[@20000lbs_of_Cheese]

So fun 👏👏

[@mistgate]

I had the pleasure (or happy misfortune) of performing Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui during the 2016 Presidential Elections. Unfortunately, our show opened after the election ended and I'm not sure we got through to most of the audience, being that they associated the title character with the wrong modern political figure.

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

Who were you supposed to be referencing? Who did the audience THINK you were referencing?

[@gbaca07]

What do you mean by he apprenticed himself to Max Reinhardt? Thank you for your work.

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

I thought until now that the skull was added in post!

[@Lemanic89]

Eventually, Cosplay will be the last episode, right?

[@xxiao5156]

No, last episode is on Fursona.

[@moondust2365]

@@xxiao5156 Fursona? Like how is *that* theater? (I *know* / *think* your being sarcastic, but like, it's a fetish of mine to correct people, 'kay?)

[@keithybrinson7804]

This is pure Jim Morrison and the DOors 🚪 👍🏾

[@capucine9791]

I’m performing The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui with my drama class later this year :)

[@nyx4081]

How was it

[@learnacademy5145]

This is one of the best youtube channels out there and has inspired me to create my own channel thanks so much Green Brothers!

[@mitchellfrancis2991]

Yeah i know there great! that's awesome that you have created your own! Look forward to more videos on Learn Academy and KEEP IT UP GREEN BROTHERS!

[@roxannebosman2063]

Yeah great that's awesome WELL done

[@roxannebosman2063]

Yeah that's great Awesome WELL DONE.... You have some pretty cool content but well done to CC as well!

[@learnacademy5145]

Thanks so much

[@culwin]

There are 44 of these? Wow, how many episodes are there going to be?

[@bethereorbesquare3416]

Driving out a devil is in what time setting?

[@carlaagius7029]

Your all to good Mike

[@jacobparry177]

talk about saunders lewis~

[@debarghyaroy9948]

They should have you in my university!

[@francoislacombe9071]

So many ways to say "curtain", so little time.

[@erzengelchen2830]

It's so sad for me as a German Brecht-Fan that English videos are more precise than German ones (if you don't want to listen to an old dusty prof reading a script with a monotone voice) xD However, thank you so much for your work, I discovered your channel when I did my first research for my essay about Kabuki. Subscribed.

[@alexixeno4223]

Also that ending?!

[@oussamalaaboubi370]

The best :)

[@Mcgif21]

1:40 LMFAO!!

[@drzzsz1439]

All these translations of Verfremdungseffekt are very weird. I see how one can apply the meanings to the general concept but they really don't fit at all. "Alienation effect" and "estrangement effect" both sound as if they were translations of "Entfremdungseffekt" (not a real thing). Entfremdung describes a changed or twisted relationship, ie estrangement or alienation. "Distancing effect" sounds as if people translated "Verfernungseffekt". "Verfernung" is not a real word, but if it was it'd be related to "Entfernung" and "Ferne" both meaning distance. "Verfernung"' would be something like "making a (small) distance bigger" in other words distancing. The verb to "Verfremdung" is "verfremden" and it actually means to portray something in an unusual or weird way. Synonyms would be to manipulate or to twist. Important to realise is that it decribes the object on stage (in relation to how the viewers know or exect this object) not the relationship the viewers (will) have with the object on stage. Actual translations would be "unusual portrayal effect", "twisting effect" or "manipulation effect". Those common "translations" are at best new english names for the effect, at worst they were done by someone without german language skills and the first half of a dictionary. ;)

[@joey1558]

K

[@Alex-fn2hl]

Epic Theater kind of reminds me of Roleplaying Games-- the combative and discordant style reminds me of the 'competitive drama' of these kinds of games.

[@youtubingjaguar5082]

'Competitive drama' sums up a D&D game with 8 party members quite nicely. ;)

[@Hudute]

So your DM is actively working to destroy your immersion into your character or the world? Or your PC game takes steps to throw you out of the illusion it sells? Because that would actually make it "epic" in a Brechtian sense. The competition in Brecht is not simply within the story or restricted to a criminal codes definition of physical violence! It is the destruction of the illusion of the real on stage.

[@oscarstrokosz2986]

In theatre studies for sixth form, I could never really grasp the techniques of brecht. I had to really delve into basic socialist theory and understanding to really get it.

[@pvtpain66k]

Oh, Hi Stan.

[@georgeweber5333]

I love the New Gods reference at 8:30.

[@darthswagedorn]

Anyone else catch the Wilhelm Scream at 9:31?

[@christinabishop7352]

Sounds like Dr.Seuss

[@unleashingpotential-psycho9433]

Niiiice 👍🏾🔥🔥🔥

[@MarieYvenat]

Bonjour, Tu pourrais s'il te plaît mettre la traduction en français en plus sur ta vidéo ? J'aimerais bien comprendre, mais je ne comprends pas du tout l'anglais. Merci Crashcourse ! Nad

[@greyareaRK1]

"yep"

[@DanteEDM1]

Hi, Stan!

[@AlRoderick]

Brecht goes a bit Dr. Seuss there. It's like the end of The Lorax.

[@alexixeno4223]

So kind of like the band bare naked ladies. Their music rarely thematically matches the lyrics. Like what is sleep as an easy example it's a very energetic song about being tired and an insomniac. Or duck tape heart is a pretty sad lyrics about being emotionally abused by life but it's pretty up beat.

[@nechma13]

Talk about Susan glaspell please

[@MKPiatkowski]

She's mentioned in 3 previous episodes.

[@nacho6438]

Crash course Astrophysicist please

[@brandonburrell8517]

Isn't it The Good Woman of Szechuan?

[@foxsecrets]

So cute hear you trying to speak German.. I know we have a harsh language

[@0n1x]

Ay

[@ismireghal68]

Brechts co-workes didn‘t feel exploited. Brecht wasn‘t keen on getting credit as far as i can tell.

[@Rocinante2300]

Hi

[@SweetestTangerine]

_The ThreePenny Opera_ is an adaptation of John Gay’s 18th century play _The Beggar’s Opera_ (which is also pretty fun so if you liked the Brecht version, you should check it out). The plot and characters are rather similar so I don’t think it rocked the boat that much.

[@archicanciller]

Mr miracle is a god, .... but a chinesse god?

[@G1pp4l]

That Like/Dislike ratio

[@gailcbull]

So Brecht's works were collaborations. Any chance of his collaborators names being added to future productions and publications of his works?

[@jonathanmelia]

It’s pronounced “Thruppenny Opera”!

[@heatherbarfield6173]

You are doing so great with these! But keep in mind that the false binary between Brecht and Artaud serves nobody. ;)

[@yuno7139]

Before we say anything I am NOT German 😂

[@claudellebotha2242]

please do post modernism

[@PennyDreadful1]

I used to get frustrated whenever a bug in a game threw me out of the experience. Or when characters acted wonky and out of character. "The Elder Scrolls:Oblivion" for example. With Bertolt Brecht its kinda like "yeah that's the point". Maybe I should internalize some sort of lesson from this.

[@RicoLamar987]

How about more showing and not telling

[@Casutama]

I disagree about Brecht's plays not achieving what he set out for them to achieve. Yes, you totally engage with the characters while you're watching, but I have never left a Brecht play NOT suddenly inspired to overhaul society and painfully feeling that everything Brecht criticises in his plays about the society he lived in is still relevant today. If we take the Threepenny Opera - yes, the songs are absolutely amazing, but watching the play - it was the first play of Brecht's I went to see - fundamentally changed me.

[@charlessloboda-bolton3135]

can anyone explain to me why Mike pronounces the "l" in folk? Is this an american thing? In my dialect of English we don't pronounce it.

[@anttibjorklund1869]

Might just be a "your accent" thing to *not* pronounce it?

[@PlannedObsolescence]

Not all Americans pronounce words in the same way.

[@charlessloboda-bolton3135]

@@anttibjorklund1869 I'm from London, but i can't think of any other British dialect where the "L" is pronounced. Is this a regional thing?

[@miamcdougall6124]

send help

[@darkstate1192]

who else here cuz of skl

[@grobanlover292]

Szechuan should have tried to make some schezuan sauce.

[@joey1558]

Very funny did laugh

[@Np37470]

I'm sorry , but why can't you pronounce his surname correctly?? I don't think it's very difficult, but it very important. Also, you didn't mention a big part of his life when he was living in Moscow and that affected him a LOT

[@camiloiribarren1450]

Time for the “woke” side of theatre! Politics in art is always dangerous

[@DenkyManner]

Dangerous how? It's only dangerous when it's the government enforcing certain types of art. Artists are by and large political, it just means having a viewpoint about how the society is conducted. All but the most cynically commercial works contain things that could be seen as political. The second a gay character appears in a work someone complains about the gay agenda being forced upon them.

[@camiloiribarren1450]

retread01 I know. I only say dangerous because it can cause riots or even someone would consider assassination of the artist or the govt official the artist is protesting. But you are right just as well

[@alg11297]

The Three Penny Opera is a rip off of a British play from the 1780s called The Beggar's Opera. It's strange the Brecht made the film in modern dress, with all the characters talking and singing in German with English cloths and scenery. In all, you'd think this guy would have said a thing or two about the fascist takeover of his country but it appears he ignored the Nazis or their treatment of Jews.

[@dr.strangelove2066]

alg11297 The three penny opera was written in 1928. A couple of years before the nazis took over. Brecht did write about and against the nazis, the drama Fear and misery of the third reich (written in ‘38) was explicitly so.

[@alg11297]

@@dr.strangelove2066 You can spin it all you want but F. Scott Fitzgerald, referred to the Nazis and anti-semitism in his 1925 book The Great Gatsby which is supposed to take place in 1922. But F Scott was an anti-semite himself and unlike Brecht lived in America. How is it Weil gets so little mention here?

[@jacobvardy]

Brecht didn't need to mention the Nazis in his plays because they would regularly turn up and try to wreck the performances. I suspect Brecht didn't want to give them any spotlight (a terrible anti-fascist tactic, but it was the first time round...). After the Nazis came to power and killed a great many of his comrades, Brecht did write a number of anti-fascist plays, such as the 'Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'.

[@elmervillalobos6501]

Brecht's play never take place in either Germany during the Keiserreich or after the Keiserreich. They take place elsewhere because that takes away the pressure of pointing fingers and, well, alienating people from watching his plays. Mann ist Mann takes place in somewhere in India, Die Dreigroschenoper takes place in England, Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny takes place in the US. Even though they might have been set abroad, that does not take away the relevancy of problems you find at home: senseless militarism, oppression, the impossibility of being happy under capitalism, etc, etc. As far as nazism goes, yes, he was not too vocal. As someone already mentioned: Nazi sympathizers would show up and heckle his plays (as it was the case of Mahagonny). He did write Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui and Die Spitzkoepfe und die Rundkoepfe though, where he openly mocks nazism and their ideology of racial purity. However, he did not do enough before things when to hell when the nazis took power, and people like Kurt Tucholsky were already warning about how out of touch the intellectuals were from the the actual everyday problems. People like Brecht were, according to some, more like petite Bourgeoisie: people well off who thought they knew the working class well enough to be part of the struggle (Masse Mensch, from Ernst Toller, illustrates this problem perfectly). In other words, they were too busy discussing their theories and methods about how to bring things like theater, cinema, architecture, etc. to the general public, when in reality the country as a whole had other priorities, like not starving, that groups like the Nazis found easy to capitalize on.