ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 presents a theoretical framework for understanding the significance of the Piscatorbühne, as well as a fuller historical narrative of the political, cultural, and economic factors that led to its establishment and subsequent collapse. The chapter introduces the reader to Piscator’s collective methods and new aesthetic criteria for art, informed by his adoption of Marxist materialism and his attempt to develop a correspondingly scientific, pedagogical, and revolutionary theater. Of particular interest to general readers will be the section regarding Piscator’s conception of the stage, which orients the reader in (1) Piscator’s desire to create a dialectical synthesis of emotion and intellect, which assumes a distinct form from that of his collaborator and protégé, Bertolt Brecht; (2) the director’s quasi-Leninist notion of direct revolutionary action (Wirkung) and agitational conception of modern theater practice; (3) his incorporation of stage technology to serve didactic and pedagogical purposes, resulting in his trademark electrified, intermediated Hintergrund; and (4) the subsequent emergence of his new, the so-called “epic” mode of theater practice. This overview concludes with a discussion of the contradictions inherent in the Piscatorbühne project, including the capitalist pressures and financial model underpinning the theater and Piscator’s own lavishly expensive lifestyle and cult of personality.
