Realistic and Epic Theater: Key Differences and Impact
Is It Necessary for Us to Leave the Theater Realistic?
The illusion of reality in the realistic theater: Everything has to go to enable them to manage to achieve verisimilitude. There was an interest in its time. Realism takes its themes from observing the contemporary world. The concept of the fourth wall is an imaginary wall that separates the space in which actors represent the work and the public. The construction of the character is based on the observation, identification, and psychological study of individuals.
A Proletarian Theater
In 1917, the Russian Revolution meant a real break for the stage. The Revolution turned into a theater and proletarian masses. The Russian proletarian theater is the greatest exponent of Meyerhold. This aesthetic intended priority ideological awareness of the people. Piscator established the Proletarian Theater in Berlin. In the same line as Meyerhold, he thought that the workers were not obliged to go to the theater, but it was the theater that had to go to the proletariat. What really mattered was that the political message reached the public and all types of people.
Epic Theater
Epic theater was collected by Bertolt Brecht, author and man of the theater, who developed and became known as a theatrical epic theater. He presented the first scheme differentiating between the epic and dramatic forms of theater. The epic drama intended to reflect the public and give arguments to bring about social change. It is rather didactic, like the Eastern theater. In this last sack, the idea of detachment meant that viewers do not identify with the emotions expressed by the characters, but to reflect. The function was to create a critical consciousness. Brecht envisaged the creation of a play as a team; none was more important than others because everyone had the task of getting the message to the public. All the elements involved in the scene respond to this principle. The scenery and costumes are not to represent reality. Brecht was not a friend of special effects or lighting tricks. He preferred a white light. One of his works is The Life of Galileo Galilei.
What Has Made the Epic Theater?
- The break with the realistic technique of the fourth wall
- Detachment
- The role of the viewer to observe, judge, and criticize
- Incorporating socio-political issues of today as a way to gain awareness
Conflict in Theater
Conflict is defined as any situation of shock, ongoing disagreement, or opposition between persons or things. Without conflict, there are no characters, no drama. The dramatic conflict is defined by the confrontation of two opposing forces.
There is always a general conflict that develops throughout the play and other conflicts that develop partially in its parts or scenes. The dramatic conflict can take various forms. The sequence of actions is the scheme which is usually divided into three blocks:
- Approach: In this initial block, the necessary information will be provided to provide evidence about the characters, the space, and time.
- Node: This is the central part of the work where the set of conflicts is.
- Outcome: The episode that resolves conflicts and obstacles; it is the end of the work.