The idea that one should suspend disbelief when watching a performance was shattered by Brecht's revolutionary theories - one should be continually, intensively aware that what one is watching is a theatrical event. (www).
In "From A Letter to an Actor" (Brecht, 1964: 235) Brecht speaks of the dangers of the extensive fusion of the actor with his role, leading to the character becoming so natural it becomes impossible for the audience to envision the character in any other way. The actor need not imitate every aspect of his characters behaviour, but enough to give a picture; the actor must not go so far as to be wholly transformed into the person being demonstrated as can be seen in Stanislavsky techniques, but be critically objective in their demonstration of the role. Events should be shown without emotion and the text alienated by reporting on events rather than performing them. (www. ; Dramarama 12, 2002: 93) Rather than feeling empathy for the characters, the audience should be inspired to change the evils of society brought to their attention. As Brecht himself says, "The actor himself does not become completely transformed on the stage into the character he is portraying." (Brecht, 1964: 235) Using theatre as the medium, a play is in actuality a channel of communication from the stage to the audience centred around significant social issues (Brecht, 1964: 136,137,138,139).
Brecht's principal conditions concerning the application of the alienation effect was "that the stage and auditorium be purged of everything "magical" and that no "hypnotic tensions" should be set up." (Brecht, 1964: 136) The fourth wall theory of realism times was discarded, aiding in breaking the audiences illusion that the stage action is taking place in "reality", without an audience.
Brechtian influenced sets create no specific atmosphere nor provoke emotional reactions from an audience as to taint their objectivity.
