Brecht’s Theatre for the Scientific Age: A Critical Reading of A Short Organum for the Theatre (1949)

Dr. Girija Suri

Vol-10,Issue-5,September - October 2025

Author: Dr. Girija Suri

Keywords: alienation, Bertolt Brecht, epic theatre, Gestus, Marxist aesthetics, performance pedagogy

Abstract: This essay offers a comprehensive reading of Bertolt Brecht’s A Short Organum for the Theatre (1949), situating it within twentieth-century performance theory, Marxist aesthetics, and contemporary reception. It argues that Brecht’s program is not reducible to stylistic novelties but constitutes an integrated pedagogy that aligns theatrical form with critical social inquiry. Through devices such as the Verfremdungseffekt, Gestus, episodic dramaturgy, and didactic song, Brecht sought to transform spectators from passive consumers of illusion into active analysts of social relations. The essay demonstrates how Brecht reconfigured acting, music, and staging to produce historically literate publics. The discussion also highlights debates on Brecht’s legacy, including feminist and postcolonial critiques, and underscores the continued relevance of his project for addressing contemporary crises of media, democracy, and public reasoning.

Article Info: Received: 25 Aug 2025; Received in revised form: 18 Sep 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025; Available online: 26 Sep 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.105.31