Event Title
The Brechtian Clown: Using Clowning Techniques to Promote the Brechtian Aesthetic
Faculty Mentor
Amy Pinney
Keywords
Amy Pinney
Abstract
My goal in this presentation is to explore the theatrical performance techniques used in the clowning discipline and how these techniques can partner with Brechtian's theory of "epic theatre". Primarily I will look at how the practices create Verfremdungseffekt, translated as "distancing effect" or "estrangement effect". This idea, established by Brecht, attempts to involve an audience intellectually rather than emotionally, and achieves this through creating performances not grounded in realism, but that are, instead, "epic" and larger than life. A sense of fantasy, awareness of the audience, and the acknowledgement of the performer's identity outside of the character, are all features of Brecht's theories and clowning techniques, and often are used in tandem to create a unique effect.
Session Name:
Working Women, Wandering Wombs, the Verfremdungseffekt and the Flower: A Total Deconstruction
Start Date
4-4-2014 1:15 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 2:15 PM
Location
HSB 201
The Brechtian Clown: Using Clowning Techniques to Promote the Brechtian Aesthetic
HSB 201
My goal in this presentation is to explore the theatrical performance techniques used in the clowning discipline and how these techniques can partner with Brechtian's theory of "epic theatre". Primarily I will look at how the practices create Verfremdungseffekt, translated as "distancing effect" or "estrangement effect". This idea, established by Brecht, attempts to involve an audience intellectually rather than emotionally, and achieves this through creating performances not grounded in realism, but that are, instead, "epic" and larger than life. A sense of fantasy, awareness of the audience, and the acknowledgement of the performer's identity outside of the character, are all features of Brecht's theories and clowning techniques, and often are used in tandem to create a unique effect.