Otto Brahm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Otto Brahm
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Brahm in 1905
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| Born |
Otto Abrahamson
5 February 1856 |
| Died | 28 November 1912 (aged 56) Berlin
Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Critic, theatre manager, director |
Otto Brahm (born Otto Abrahamsohn on February 5, 1856, in Hamburg; died November 28, 1912, in Berlin) was an important German theatre expert. He worked as a critic, a theatre manager, and a director. He was known for making plays look very real and accurate on stage. Brahm helped start a new theatre group called Die Freie Bühne (which means Free Stage). He became its president and producer. He also edited the group's magazine, which later changed its name to Die neue Rundschau.
Brahm also managed the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. He was responsible for making its plays more modern and realistic.
Contents
Otto Brahm: A Theatre Pioneer
Otto Brahm played a big part in the birth of modern theatre in Germany. In 1889, a new play by a young writer named Gerhart Hauptmann caused a stir. The play was called Before Sunrise.
Bringing Realism to Theatre
This play showed a new style called naturalism. It was very different from the old, traditional theatre. People argued about it, but soon it was clear that naturalism had won. This new style focused on showing life as it really was.
Brahm soon took over the Deutsches Theater. This theatre was very important in Berlin at the time. He tried to make plays as lifelike as possible. He believed that art should be true and honest.
His theatre did not use fancy language or fake-looking sets. Actors played their roles in a very natural way. They aimed to show real human behavior. A great group of actors helped Brahm achieve this. They included Rittner, Sauer, Hermann Muller, Bassermann, and Else Lehmann. These actors were perfect for Brahm's natural and truthful style.
Brahm's Role Behind the Scenes
Brahm was not a director in the way we think of directors today. He often sat in the dark audience during rehearsals. After rehearsals, he would talk to the actors to guide them.
He was a brilliant "dramaturg." This means he worked closely with writers. He chose the plays for his theatre's schedule. He also found and hired new actors for his team. One young actor he hired was Max Reinhardt, who later became a very famous director himself. Reinhardt worked with Brahm for almost ten years.
See also
In Spanish: Otto Brahm para niños
