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Political Theatre

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Political Theatre
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Erwin Piscator
SeriesDiaries, Letters and Essays
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:384
Dimensions(mm): Height 200,Width 140
Category/GenreDrama
ISBN/Barcode 9780413335005
ClassificationsDewey:792.0943
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint Methuen Drama
Publication Date 24 April 1980
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

'The Political Theatre' is among the most important documents of the modern stage. It tells of the foundation and flowering in Weimar Germany of a new form of theatre - epic theatre - designed to bring on to the stage the real political issues of the time, and to do so with all the aids that modern technology could supply.

Author Biography

Erwin Piscator (1893-1966) was a German director, noted for his ingenious staging techniques and his influence on the development of epic and documentary theatre. A member of the German Communist Party from 1918, Piscator saw the theatre as a means of both explaining issues and influencing voters. Piscator's innovative productions made use of machinery, newsreels, film clips, photographs, and audio recordings to create an experience of total theatre. Following his arrest in 1931 for failing to pay entertainment tax, Piscator moved to the Soviet Union; in 1938 he moved to New York, where he remained until 1951. During his time in the USA, Piscator taught at the Dramatic Workshop, where he influenced such writers as Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. After returning to West Germany in 1951, Piscator remained largely inactive until his appointment in 1962 as Artistic Director of the West Berlin Volksbuhne.