Bertolt Brecht research

His theory
Bertolt Brecht had an influential theory of theatre, the epic theatre, wherein a play should not cause the spectator to emotionally identify with the action before him or her, but should instead provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the actions on the stage.

The content of many of his plays dealt with fictional telling's of historical figures or events. His idea was that if you were to tell a story from a time that is contemporary to an audience, they may not be able to maintain the critical perspective because it may have recent influences from the media or the audience have a resent opinion. Instead, he focused on historical stories that had parallel themes to the social issues of his time. He hoped that, in viewing these historical stories from a critical/outside perspective, the contemporary issues Brecht was addressing would be illuminated to the audience.

Brecht also believed in non naturalistic theatre were he made the audience aware that the characters in the play were indeed actors and this was a play they were watching. He used techniques such as speaking in third person, plaque cards, and unusual sequences or moments which would create an abstract piece which removed the audience from reality and the normal naturalistic play which further broke any attachment they had with a character and drove the audience to connect with the social/political message.