ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the historical materials and their close relation to the occasional statements on exercises that are dispersed throughout his other writings on theatre. It discusses exercises from the list which best illuminate Bertolt Brecht's performance principles and innovations, using cross-referencing to help build a picture of their form and function. Given Brecht's passionate commitment to changing the way theatre is made and received, his relative silence on the subject of practical exercises is indeed remarkable. Cultivating the actor's ability to generate such an interest was one of Brecht's main contributions to Western theatre. The programme unfolds the application of Brecht's key performance principles in a manner informed by his emphasis on the socio-historical specificity of the participants. The workshop is an adaptation of the historical exercises described in the chapter, and of the strategies Brecht used during rehearsals at the Berliner Ensemble.