(Excerpts from the book Shall We Stop Listening to Nonsense?)
Brecht states that the A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect) is not about the absence of emotion but about creating a different kind of emotional response:
“For the actor, it is difficult and exhausting to evoke specific internal states or emotions night after night. It is simpler to exhibit the external signs that accompany these emotions and to identify them. In this case, however, there is no automatic transfer of emotion to the audience, no direct emotional transmission. The A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect) intervenes—not in the form of an absence of emotion, but in the form of emotions that do not necessarily correspond to those of the character being portrayed. Seeing anxiety, the spectator may feel joy; seeing anger, they may feel repulsion.”
The Rejection of Empathy
Brecht’s rejection of empathy does not mean the elimination of emotions:
“The refusal of empathy is not the result of rejecting emotions, nor does it lead to that. The crude aesthetic position that emotions can only be aroused through empathy is incorrect. Nevertheless, a non-Aristotelian dramaturgy must apply a careful critique to the emotions it aims to provoke and incorporate.”
Brecht clarifies:
“Neither the audience nor the actor should be prevented from engaging emotionally; the representation of emotions should not be obstructed, nor should the use of emotions by the actor be hindered. Only one of the many possible sources of emotion should remain untapped or, at least, be considered secondary—empathy.”
The A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect) and Natural Acting
The A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect) does not require an unnatural acting style or mere stylized performance:
“The alienation effect does not in any way demand an unnatural way of acting. It has absolutely nothing to do with the usual stylized approach. On the contrary, achieving the A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect) depends on the lightness and naturalness of the performance. When the actor ensures the truthfulness of their interpretation, they do not rely solely on their ‘natural sensitivities’ but can always correct themselves by comparing their performance with reality.”
The Purpose of the A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect)
The A-EFFECT (Alienation Effect) is a technique that presents social events in a way that makes them striking, worth explaining, and non-self-evident. The goal is to enable the spectator to exercise constructive criticism from a social perspective.
