Friday 3rd October 2014

From the suggestion of Sharney formerly remaining on stage throughout the play since she is the narrator, Sharney was to sit in the audience seats.  When it was her turn to speak, she would stand up.  As she is saying her lines, this gives the actors the chance to change scene and set up while on stage.  This strongly puts an emphasis on breaking the fourth wall literally as she engages the audience as part of the production by being seated with the audience and the audience can see the actors changing scene and putting props away to further remind them they are still watching theatre.  Sharney is to not just say it but understand what she is saying by emphasising with an attitude.  Brechts obvious intentions was to make the audience react; cognitively engaged.  It is on Sharney's shoulders to create that for the audience before the scene started.

During 'Charity begins at home' (Scene 16), I was advised to directly address/play to the audience by making them 'Erna' (the young woman, daughter of the old woman), 'Young Man'.  To do this while saying, 'you must take an apple, young man...' and 'Go on, Erna, you take one too...' I am to give the apple as if I am giving it to the audience then the actors who I am addressing take it.  This breaks the fourth wall and destroys any illusion of reality.

Evidence to promote epic theatre is within the script, the use of representation of characters and the linguistic use of third person.  There are no names at all assigned to the characters the actors play, the only suggestive idea of who they are to play is if they are male/female, young/old, husband/wife ect.  This resonates Brechts style of epic theatre of the actors not becoming one with their character; they are to just play it.  With the use of third person, reference can be imposed upon the audience as the actor is addressing anyone or anything other than the ones being addressed.  This breaks the fourth wall reminding the audience this isn't a sociable event but a political chance to cause a reaction in the audience to reflect and hopefully change society.