Brecht on Theatre THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AESTHETIC — edited and wranslated by JOHN WILLETT o BILL 419 WANG «Naw Your METHUEN Lovwow ‘Abate Popa38 A Short Organum for the Theatre (Sesion mate ethos wh tgibe reer aspen pase essen need modiing ‘The fellonng ses out to define a athtc drawn fom «pereulaeLnd| of thecal pefrmance which bas bez worked ot in preci er the ts: few decades, Inthe heave stemest, excuson, technic id Eston ocstoralypublised inthe form af notes fo the writer's plays, seats have ony been ouhed on cast and wih comparative ato ines. There you sw parla species of thee extending o sm ‘recting its socal Funeon, perfecting sing it arene methods nd ‘Sublshing or maltaining iz aewtcr-if the question arose by ‘ejecting oavering toto we the damnan coavenone of moray rate aecoring wis actal aed. This thee atid einai to sci eommitmen by pining to the scl ennmitient in wniversly acceped wks a st, which ony fil to ss the ee becuse twas the accepted commitment Af fo the products of to tine i ed tht thet nck of ny wortble coment war sign of dvadene ie aeesed Utes emermentemporiome af having degenerated ito betiches of the bourpais narcotics busines. The wag's incense repesetton of oar saci fe, inclading tote ceed a wad Nara ed ell Tur scien excerepreseotions; the atl remhing of empty ‘val or spt pains, fr teal ogi of he mulisan ag ‘The eat of beat, condaced with hsliy towards lamning and core temp for the useful was domed by ia el contempt eel nothing bei relted. The Bate was for theatre Bt for the inte from th armory of asthe conept nogh ne eles against the aestheis of the Pre they ssl thetene oan form the means of exoyment ino an isment fists, a8 0 ‘munication’ (Notte opers Mahagony [ae Nog) roomie fram the rem of the merely enjoyable Asti, tat eon of by tw depraved and pusiteca, asin sucha lmensble sate tat t there mould certain hae gained bo ia reputation odin elbowroom i it had recrieed ite hatter And ye wha we ahd nthe thease fore sent ge wast mene but ete, andthe scwated| 1% fSnowations worked out during the Nas period andthe war ~when peace ‘ial demantration wat imposible~compel sme atempt to se is Species of theatre ini sett background, ot srybow fo tc for ie ‘te otines os conevablesebeicTo expan the theory of tetra Alienation except within an aesthetic Mmenock would be inpoibiy vhs "Tolay one could go 20 frat to compile am aesthetics of the eset sciences Galle spe ofthe eegance of crtsn formulae ad the point of a experiment; Ensen sugges thet the sng of beauty hs apr pay in the making of see dneoverieg while the atomic physica Oppencimer pases the siete sttude, which “ae is tm ind OF ‘enury and seems to sie mains poston on eth Tet therefore aus genera dismay by revoking our decison wer trate from the elm of the merel enol, anderen mare genta disny by announcing out deciion to take up Idging there. Lt os treat the theatre asa ple of entrainment as is proper ina sete dissin, sd ty to dover whch aye of eoertinent sits ue Bes “Theat? consis inthis: in making ve representation of reported oe inven hnppeings between humen beings and ding eo wit «view 0 fhveraiest. Atay at tht ir what we sll ean when we sper thaave, wheter ad a new ‘To extend thie denition we might add happesings between huss snd ods, bot awe ate ony seeiog (0 estblah the minimum we can leaveruch mats ide. Even ifwe dd acept och extension me should sti bave 1 sy that he "heare” stags ede uncon ast pve east, Iie he ooblest Fain that we ee found fr ea xt From the fs ithe ben the heats bine a entertin peopl, a ie also has ofall he other ace Tes hit business which sayy ges its fcr digi ie noes no other passport tha fon, bt heist fave, Weshould no by any ears be giving ita higher tare wee fo faerie int s purveyor of era, i wold on the coetrary run the Fk of Beg debated, and this wuld coeur atone iit ed to wale it Ira eson enjoyable, and erjyable tothe sac thas pine, dite, by whch ocliy ex oly gin. Not even into can be dernanded of is ny ate, 20 more wlitaran lesion than how to move plesuraby,wiete ie the physio inthe spiital sphere, The tetre Ios in tems someting entinlysuperfons, thesph Ss ined ets hat it the sipeslunis for which we lve, Noding needs er [isin than plese iy ‘Thus what de ancien, flowing Artoue, demanded of tragedy is thing highs of lowe ha tt esould etn pape Theat sy be sid tobe deve fom sna, bu tht ony aay thai ezomes "hate nee the Oo have separated; what fe brought ave fom the yee ‘eis wn ott forme itl fn, but purely ad simply he pleas whieh accompacid! this And he clr of whieh Antone writes leaning by fa and pty, of fom fear and pty isa puriion wich is perered not only ina plasurable way, ba presi fr the purpre of pleasure, To ask or fo acee moe of tether to et ons tooo es = Even when people speak of higher and lower degree of pleasure, att stares impasely back atthe for thes thigh and ow and fo be Ietin pees ong tam ge please o people 6 Yet there are weaker (ipl) ad srooee (comple) plesees which the theatre can crete Taelneramed, whi are what ne ate eng wih in great drama, aia ther cimaxey rater as cohen des trough love: they are mere inet cher in commun, move contactor std more productive fees ‘And dierent pigs’ pleasures ard naturaly acceding to the system under ich prople ive sey athe tine, The Gres demos teal the demos of de Greek crear rl by tyrants Rad tobe entertained erent fom the fea cart of Louie XIV. The tea wa equi 1a deliver diferent repesemtions of men’s fe tgetber: ott Fepre= seaion ofa ilret Hf but ato representations of diferent sre. Accoding tthe srt of entertainment which was posible and necessary