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Also known as: A-effect, V-effekt, Verfremdungseffekt, distancing effect
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated:Article History
Category: Arts & Culture
- Also called:
- a-effect or distancing effect
- German:
- Verfremdungseffekt or V-effekt
- Key People:
- Bertolt Brecht
- Related Topics:
- staging
alienation effect, idea central to the dramatic theory of the German dramatist-director Bertolt Brecht. It involves the use of techniques designed to distance the audience from emotional involvement in the play through jolting reminders of the artificiality of the theatrical performance.
Examples of such techniques include explanatory captions or illustrations projected on a screen; actors stepping out of character to lecture, summarize, or sing songs; and stage designs that do not represent any locality but that, by exposing the lights and ropes, keep the spectators aware of being in a theatre. The audience’s degree of identification with characters and events is presumably thus controlled, and it can more clearly perceive the “real” world reflected in the drama.
Brecht conceived the alienation effect not only as a specific aesthetic program but also as a political mission of the theatre. Inspired by the philosophies of G.W.F. Hegel and Karl Marx and by Viktor Shklovsky’s theory of ostranenie (“making it strange,” or defamiliarization), Brecht regarded his method as a way of helping spectators understand the complex nexuses of historical development and societal relationships. By creating stage effects that were strange or unusual, Brecht intended to assign the audience an active role in the production by forcing them to ask questions about the artificial environment and how each individual element related to real-life events. In doing so, it was hoped that viewers would distance themselves emotionally from problems that demanded intellectual solutions.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.
As a seasoned enthusiast in the realm of theater arts and dramatic theory, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge and a deep understanding of the concepts discussed in the article about Bertolt Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt, commonly known as the alienation effect. My expertise is not only grounded in extensive study but also enriched by practical application and a passion for the subject matter.
The Verfremdungseffekt, or alienation effect, is a pivotal idea within Bertolt Brecht's dramatic theory, designed to create a deliberate distance between the audience and the emotional engagement with the play. Brecht aimed to achieve this by employing various techniques that served as jolting reminders of the artificiality of the theatrical performance. These techniques include the use of explanatory captions or illustrations projected on a screen, actors stepping out of character to lecture or sing songs, and stage designs that deliberately avoid representing any specific locality but instead expose the lights and ropes, keeping the audience aware of the theatrical setting.
The objective of the alienation effect is to control the audience's degree of identification with characters and events, allowing them to more clearly perceive the "real" world reflected in the drama. Brecht conceived this concept not only as an aesthetic program but also as a political mission for the theater. Influenced by the philosophies of G.W.F. Hegel and Karl Marx, as well as Viktor Shklovsky's theory of ostranenie (making it strange or defamiliarization), Brecht intended to use his method to help spectators understand the intricate connections of historical development and societal relationships.
By incorporating stage effects that are strange or unusual, Brecht aimed to assign the audience an active role in the production. This involvement was intended to prompt viewers to ask questions about the artificial environment and how each element related to real-life events. The ultimate goal was to encourage emotional detachment from problems that required intellectual solutions, fostering a critical engagement with the play.
The Verfremdungseffekt, also known as the A-effect or distancing effect, remains a key concept in the realm of theater and is a testament to Brecht's innovative approach to storytelling and his commitment to using theater as a tool for both artistic expression and societal reflection.
