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基本説明
Through detailed analysis of archival material, Bradley explores how Brecht's theatre practice developed and how it has subsequently been received and challenged by other directors, in and beyond Germany.
Full Description
This production history of The Mother provides substantial new insights into Bertolt Brecht's theatre and drama, his impact on political theatre, and the relationship between text, performance, and politico-cultural context. As the only play which Brecht staged in the Weimar Republic, during his exile, and in the GDR, The Mother offers a unique opportunity to compare his theatrical practice in contrasting settings and at different points in his career. Through detailed analysis of original archival evidence, Bradley shows how Brecht became far more sensitive to his spectators' political views and cultural expectations, even making major tactical concessions in his 1951 production at the Berliner Ensemble. These compromises indicate that his 'mature' staging should not be regarded as definitive, for it was tailored to a unique and delicate situation.
The Mother has appealed strongly to politically committed theatre practitioners both in and beyond Germany. By exploiting the text's generic hybridity and the interplay between Brecht's 'epic' and 'dramatic' elements, directors have interpreted it in radically different ways. So although Brecht's 1951 production stagnated into an affirmative GDR heritage piece, post-Brechtian directors have used The Mother to promote their own political and theatrical concerns, from anti-authoritarian theatre to reflections on the legacies of state Socialism. Their ideological and theatrical subversion have helped Brecht's text to outlive the political system that it came to uphold.
Contents
Introduction ; 1. From Nizhni-Novgorod to Moabit: the genesis and premiere of Die Mutter, 1931-2 ; 2. Model or museum exhibit? Die Mutter at the Berliner Ensemble, 1951-71 ; 3. The politics of performance: Die Mutter in West and East Berlin, 1970 and 1974 ; 4. Translation and transference since 1932 ; 5. Die Mutter and German reunification, 1988-2003 ; Conclusion ; Glossary
