Bertolt Brecht

Personal Information


Bertolt Brecht was born in Augsburg, Germany. His first play to be produced was Bael (1922), this was followed by Drums in the Night, a play about a soldier returning from war, Jungle of the Cities (1923) and A Man's a Man (1926). In 1927 Brecht collaborated with the composer Kurt Weill to produce the musical play, Mahagonny. They then produced The Threepenny Opera. Although based on The Beggar's Opera that was originally produced in 1728, Brecht added his own lyrics. He also worked with the composer Hanns Eisner in The Measure Taken (1930). Brecht attempted to develop a new approach to the theatre. He attempted to persuade his audiences to see the stage as a stage, actors as actors and not the traditional make-believe of the theatre. While living in exile he wrote anti-Nazi plays such as The Roundheads and the Peakheads and Fear and Misery of the Third Reich. These were followed by Galileo (1939), Mother Courage (1939), The Good Man of Szechuan (1941), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (1941) and the Caucausian Chalk Circle (1943). In 1949 Brecht founded the Berliner Ensemble. Brecht wrote only one new play, The Days of the Commune (1949), while living in East Germany.

Playwrights' Sidewalk:	Bertolt Brecht has a star on the Playwrights' Sidewalk.

Credits

Author

	Production	Theatre	Opened	Credit
1	The Resistible Rise of Arturo UI	East 13th Street/CSC Theatre	11/14/2018	Playwright
2	Mother Courage and Her Children	East 13th Street/CSC Theatre	01/19/2016	Playwright
3	The Threepenny Opera	Linda Gross Theater	04/07/2014	Book
4	The Threepenny Opera	Linda Gross Theater	04/07/2014	Lyricist
5	A Man's A Man	East 13th Street/CSC Theatre	01/30/2014	Playwright
6	Good Person of Szechwan	Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall	10/29/2013	Playwright
7	The Caucasian Chalk Circle	East 13th Street/CSC Theatre	05/30/2013	Playwright
8	Galileo	East 13th Street/CSC Theatre	02/12/2012	Playwright
9	Mother Courage and Her Children	Delacorte Theater	08/21/2006	Playwright
10	Mother Courage	Bouwerie Lane Theatre	09/07/2005	Playwright
11	Here Lies Jenny	Zipper Theatre	05/27/2004	Lyricist
12	The Threepenny Opera	Bouwerie Lane Theatre	09/07/2003	Book
13	The Threepenny Opera	Bouwerie Lane Theatre	09/07/2003	Lyricist
14	The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui	National Actors Theatre/ The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University	10/03/2002	Playwright
15	Berlin to Broadway	Triad Theater	08/19/2000	Lyricist
16	In the Jungle of Cities	Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall	10/29/1991	Playwright
17	The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui	East 13th Street/CSC Theatre	04/23/1991	Playwright
18	The Caucasian Chalk Circle	Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall	11/13/1990	Playwright
19	An Evening with Ekkehard Schall	Harold Clurman Theater	02/25/1985	Material
20	The Antigone of Sophokles	Joyce Theater	01/30/1984	Playwright
21	Mother Courage and Her Children	Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Newman Theater	05/13/1980	Playwright
22	Mother Courage and Her Children	American Place Theatre	04/05/1978	Playwright
23	The Threepenny Opera	Delacorte Theater	06/28/1977	Book
24	The Threepenny Opera	Delacorte Theater	06/28/1977	Lyricist
25	Happy End	Theater Four	03/08/1977	Lyricist
26	Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer	15 Van Dam	11/09/1976	Playwright
27	The Measures Taken	Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Susan Stein Shiva Theater	10/04/1974	Playwright
28	The Rise and Fall of The City of Mahagonny	Anderson Theatre	04/28/1970	Book
29	Trumpets and Drums	Roundabout Stage II	10/12/1969	Playwright
30	Drums in the Night	Circle in the Square Downtown	05/17/1967	Playwright
31	The Exception and the Rule / The Prodigal Son	Greenwich Mews Theatre	05/20/1965	Playwright
32	Baal	Martinique Theatre	05/06/1965	Playwright
33	Baal	Martinique Theatre	05/06/1965	Songs
34	Brecht on Brecht	Sheridan Square Playhouse	07/09/1963	Original Author
35	A Man's a Man	Masque Theatre	09/19/1962	Playwright
36	Man is Man	Living Theatre	09/18/1962	Playwright
37	Brecht on Brecht	Lucille Lortel Theatre	01/03/1962	Playwright
38	In the Jungle of Cities	Living Theatre	11/02/1961	Playwright
39	In the Jungle of Cities	Living Theatre	12/20/1960	Playwright
40	The Good Woman of Setzuan	Phoenix Theatre	12/18/1956	Playwright
41	The Threepenny Opera	Lucille Lortel Theatre	09/20/1955	Book
42	The Threepenny Opera	Lucille Lortel Theatre	09/20/1955	Lyricist
43	The Threepenny Opera	Lucille Lortel Theatre	03/10/1954	Book
44	The Threepenny Opera	Lucille Lortel Theatre	03/10/1954	Lyricist

Awards

		Award	Production	Function
1	NOMINATED	2016 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival	Mother Courage and Her Children	Playwright
2	NOMINATED	2016 AUDELCO Award, Revival	Mother Courage and Her Children	Playwright
3	WON	2014 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival	Good Person of Szechwan	Playwright