Brecht's epic theater is characterized by "loosely connected scenes that avoid illusion and often interrupt the story line to address the audience directly with analysis, argument, or documentation." (according to the Encyclopaedia of Britannica) This suggests that one of the unique things about Life of Galileo is its speeches that directly address the audience and force them to ask themselves questions about the play. However, when reconstructing the play for Americans, "The speeches presented certain problems. The American stage shuns speeches except (and maybe because of) its frightful Shakesperean productions. Speeches just mean a break in the story; and, as commony delivered, that is what they are." (pg 132)
Obviously, since this was written, Americans have come to embrace Brecht's style of epic theater. How have we seen this perspective on speeches change with the development of American theater, performance, and entertainment? In what other ways has Brecht's epic theater impacted American entertainment (for example using theater as a means of political/ social commentary, rather than just entertainment)?
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