L’Espace Provocateur : Croisements entre le théâtre de Mnouchkine et de Brecht

Abstract

Theatrical space can be used to bring political and social issues to an audience’s attention, as well as encourage political action. This is the basis of Bertolt Brecht's famous style of "dialectical theatre." It is through the lens of brechtian theory and technique that I will examine two plays created by one of France's most celebrated directors, Ariane Mnouchkine, and her theatre, the Théâtre du Soleil, famous for its political epics. In comparing and contrasting spatial techniques used by Brecht and by Mnouchkine, I will also examine the efficacy of the political message they encourage in Théâtre du Soleil's works.