For an epic and ethical theater: the theater criticism of Anatol Rosenfeld

Abstract

In this paper we discuss some of Anatol Rosenfeld's most important writings on the theater, especially his O Teatro épico (Epic Theater), where he takes up the principles of Brecht's dramatic art and Brecht's work in organizing anthologies of outstanding German literary authors (Lessing, Goethe and Schiller, for example). The objective here is to show how all these influences are intertwined in Rosenfeld's analysis of the Brazilian theatrical production of the 1960s. Between the lines of Rosenfeld's critique one can see the ethical dimension he attributes to Brazil's intellectual activity. He also mentions the efforts taken to adapt the transforming potential of Brechtian theater to the specific political and cultural context of countries like Brazil.