Brechtian theory as practice: the BerlinerEnsemble stages Der Messingkauf in 1963

Abstract

Brecht wrote little about actor training in his extensive musing on theatre. Instead, he trained his actors at the Berliner Ensemble (BE) by exposing them to dialectical acting practices in extensive rehearsals rather than through exercises. However, in a bid to encourage an understanding of Brechtian theatre theory, the BE staged elements from Brecht's Messingkauf in 1963. The evening included scenes from the Messingkauf, examples of the BE's own practice, and a series of exercises for actors. The aim was to offer theory as playfully embodied, presenting argument and examples as a way of processing the ideas and performing their implications live on stage. This essay investigates the elements selected and their function within the production. Brecht's theatre theories were eminently political and the essay argues that theoretical input was an important factor in the work done at the BE. It also shows that they were engaging and entertaining rather than doctrinaire and dry, and thus still of potential use to actors and directors.