Aspects of Traditional Chinese Theatre in the Plays of Bertolt Brecht. (Volumes I and II) (Germany).

Abstract

This dissertation examines the majority of Bertolt Brecht's plays for aspects which he derived from the traditional Chinese theatre. From 1920 to his death, Brecht maintained contact with aspects of Chinese culture, especially theatre. The results of these contacts, as demonstrated in this study, emerged in his plays with increasing frequency and clarity during his long career. Throughout this study, the two theatres are discussed on a comparative basis, in terms of their philosophical underpinnings, methods of playwriting, aspects of acting, production values and practices, and the effects of the theatrical approaches on their respective audiences. Structural elements and conventions, common to Chinese theatre for centuries, are discussed in Brecht's theories and revealed in his plays. As explored in this dissertation, these are found in the forms of similar approaches to genre, episodic structure, sources for plots and plot devices, character types, and uses of language, verse, and music. This dissertation compares and contrasts Brecht's concepts of actor training, his expectations of actors, the qualities of voice and movement he sought, and the performance ethics and techniques he promulgated with the approaches found in the Chinese theatre. The Chinese actor and the Brechtian actor share similar characteristics of use of voice and body, attitudes of professionalism, distinct separation between actor and character, and resulting conventions of style which externalize aspects of the human condition. The means by which the staging practices of the Chinese and Brechtian theatre are alike, are uncovered in this dissertation. Minimal scenic dem and s, visible shifting of scenery, absence of explicit detail, costumes and make-up based on carefully delineated character types, and lighting and sound for clarification of action but not for manipulation of audience emotions are all elements which the two theatres share. Finally, the effects the two theatres have on their respective audiences are compared in this study. The audience of the traditional Chinese theatre and the audience Brecht sought for his theatre are alike in their expectations of production values and performance ethics. The two theatres are also similar in what they expect of their audiences: liveliness, critical attention, and a desire for entertainment and education.