ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Epic Theatre Ensemble

Alright kiddo, imagine you're watching a play. The characters are acting out a story, and you feel like you're watching real life happen right in front of you. Now, imagine if the actors stopped pretending to be the characters and started talking to you, the audience. That's what happens in epic theatre.

Epic theatre isn't about making the audience feel like they're watching reality. Instead, it's about making the audience think about what they're seeing. The actors might pause in the middle of a scene to explain what's going on or ask the audience to think about why a character is behaving a certain way.

Epis theatre challenges the audience to think critically about what they're watching, and to consider the social, political, or historical context of the story. It's often used to tackle difficult issues or to criticize the status quo.

One famous proponent of epic theatre is a German playwright named Bertolt Brecht. Brecht believed that theatre shouldn't just entertain people - it should inspire them to change the world. That's why he used techniques like breaking the fourth wall (talking directly to the audience) and using music or other devices to distance the audience from the action on stage.

So, in summary, epic theatre is a style of theatre that encourages the audience to think critically about a story by breaking the fourth wall and using distancing techniques to create a separation between the audience and the action on stage. It's often used to tackle important issues and inspire political or social change.