Historicization

The principle of 'historicizaton' is a fundamental part of the aesthetic developed by the German modernist theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht.

In his poem "Speech to Danish working-class actors on the art of observation", Brecht offers a vivid portrait of the attitude he suggested an actor should cultivate::Imagine all that is going on around you, all those struggles:Picturing them just like historical incidents:For this is how you should go on to portray them on the stage::The fight for a job, sweet and bitter conversations:Between the man and his woman, arguments about books:Resignation and revolt, attempt and failure:All these you will go on to portray as historical incidents.:(Even what is happening here, at this moment, with us, is something you:Can regard as a picture in this way)".Brecht (2000, 237).] For the actor, 'historicization' constitutes a fundamental interpretative attitude (what Brecht calls a 'grund-gestus').

Works cited

* Brecht, Bertolt. 1964. "Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic". Ed. and trans. John Willett. British edition. London: Methuen. ISBN 041338800X. USA edition. New York: Hill and Wang. ISBN 0809031000.
* ---. 2000. "Poems: 1913-1956". Ed. John Willett and Ralph Manheim. Bertolt Brecht: Plays, Poetry, Prose Ser. London: Methuen. ISBN 0413152103.

Notes