tracker
My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
Home For You Chat My Shows (beta) Register/Login Games Grosses
Bertolt Brecht Headshot
Get Bertolt Brecht Alerts

Bertolt Brecht

Birth Place: Augsburg, GERMANY

BIO

Bertolt Brecht was a German playwright, director, and poet who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century theatre. Born on February 10, 1898, in Augsburg, Germany, Brecht was the son of a Catholic father and a Protestant mother. He studied medicine at the University of Munich but soon turned his attention to writing and theatre.


Brecht's first major success as a playwright came with his play "Drums in the Night," which premiered in 1922. The play was a critical and commercial success and established Brecht as a major figure in German theatre. He went on to write several other plays, including "In the Jungle of Cities" (1923), "The Threepenny Opera" (1928), and "The Mother" (1932).
Brecht's plays were known for their political and social commentary, and he often used his work to critique capitalism and the rise of fascism in Germany. He was a committed Marxist and believed that theatre should be used as a tool for social change. His plays were also known for their use of "alienation" techniques, which were designed to distance the audience from the action on stage and encourage them to think critically about what they were seeing.
In addition to his work as a playwright, Brecht was also a prolific director and producer. He founded the Berliner Ensemble in 1949, which became one of the most important theatre companies in Europe. He also worked extensively in film, writing and directing several movies, including "Kuhle Wampe" (1932) and "The Threepenny Opera" (1931).
Brecht's influence on theatre and performance is still felt today. His ideas about theatre as a tool for social change and his use of alienation techniques have been adopted by many contemporary theatre practitioners. His plays continue to be performed around the world, and his influence can be seen in the work of playwrights and directors from Samuel Beckett to Tony Kushner.
Brecht died on August 14, 1956, in East Berlin, Germany. His most recent work was the play "The Caucasian Chalk Circle," which was first performed in 1948.

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2014]
Playwright

Writing

Playwright
Lyricist
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Songs
Source Material
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Lyricist
Playwright
Lyricist
Bookwriter/Lyricist
Lyricist
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Playwright
Lyricist
Lyricist
Lyricist
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Bookwriter
Bookwriter
Bookwriter
Lyricist
Bookwriter
Bookwriter/Lyricist

Movies

The Threepenny Opera
[ 1931 ] writer
The 3 Penny Opera
[ 1931 ] writer
Ubiytsy vykhodyat na dorogu
[ 1942 ] writer
Frauenschicksale
[ 1952 ] lyricist
Katzgraben
[ 1957 ] writer
Mother
[ 1958 ] writer
Mother Courage and Her Children
[ 1961 ] writer
Der Tod des Flohzirkusdirektors
[ 1973 ] writer
Galileo
[ 1975 ] writer
The Life Story of Baal
[ 1978 ] writer
Mahagonny
[ 1980 ] writer
Die Antigone des Sophokles nach der Hölderlinschen Übertragung für die Bühne bearbeitet von Brecht 1948 (Suhrkamp Verlag)
[ 1992 ] writer
The Career of Arturo Ui: New Version
[ 1996 ] writer
L'étude du chercheur ambulant
[ 2009 ] writer
Im Dickicht Der Städte
[ 2013 ] writer
Santa Joana dos Matadouros
[ 2014 ] writer

Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 1977 - Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Bertolt Brecht, Happy End


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 1970 - Oustanding Lyrics

Bertolt Brecht, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogonny

Tony Awards - 1963 - Best Play

Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1962 - Best Play

Bertolt BrechtThe Caucasian Chalk Circle

Videos

News


Josh Gad to Play Actor Kurt Gerron in GERRON'S LAST FILM Biopic
by Josh Sharpe - Jan 30, 2026

Josh Gad is set to star in Gerron's Last Film, a forthcoming movie based on the true story of Jewish actor and director Kurt Gerron. Gad will play the famed actor.
FEAR AND MISERY IN THE THIRD REICH to be Presented at The Riverside Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 29, 2026

Rivera-Stegall Productions has revealed that tickets are on sale now for their upcoming production of Bertolt Brecht’s Fear and Misery in the Third Reich.
Placebo Will Compose Music For THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI at the Royal Shakespeare Company
by Stephi Wild - Jan 28, 2026

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that alternative British rock band, Placebo will compose the music for its 2026 production of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.
Shereen Pimentel & More Join The Glimmerglass Festival's 2026 Season
by Joshua Wright - Jan 26, 2026

The Glimmerglass Festival has announced casting for its 2026 season, featuring Oklahoma!, Madame Butterfly, Così, Fellow Travelers, Happy End, and Robin Hood, running July 10–August 17 in Cooperstown, New York.
"PERA DO MALANDRO Revival Mixes Political Satire, References to Umbanda, and Brazilian Popular Culture
by Claudio Erlichman - Jan 26, 2026

Nearly 50 years after its debut, Chico Buarque’s landmark musical returns in a vibrant new staging. Directed by Jorge Farjalla, Ópera do Malandro dives into Rio de Janeiro’s bohemian underworld to expose corruption, desire and hypocrisy with sharp humor and unforgettable songs. Inspired by Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera and infused with elements of Afro-Brazilian spirituality, the production blends satire, ritual and popular culture in an immersive, festive experience. Featuring a large, star-studded cast the show reaffirms the enduring power—and provocation—of one of Brazilian musical theatre’s most iconic works.
Shakespeare's Globe Reveals Summer Season 2026
by Stephi Wild - Jan 26, 2026

This summer, join Shakespeare's Globe for a season bursting with world-class artists, lesser-known classics, and much-loved plays, in two of the most iconic theatres in the world.
KURT WEILL'S SONGS OF GLASS AND IRON Set for Performance in Toronto
by Stephi Wild - Jan 22, 2026

Soprano Reilly Bianchi Nelson and composer-pianist Friedrich Heinrich Kern will present KURT WEILL'S SONGS OF GLASS AND IRON, a music-theatre exploration of displacement and belonging through the lens of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht.
André de Ridder and Danielle de Niese Will Lead ENO’s RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHAGONNY
by Stephi Wild - Jan 15, 2026

The English National Opera will present a new production of RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHAGONNY, featuring Andre de Ridder and Danielle de Niese. Learn more here!
PHOTOS: Coque Malla protagoniza el estreno de LA "PERA DE LOS 3 CENTAVOS
by Adela González Pérez - Jan 12, 2026

El Teatro Pérez Galdós de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria se prepara para recibir uno de los montajes más ambiciosos de la temporada. Los días 29 y 30 de enero tendrá lugar el estreno absoluto de LA ÓPERA DE LOS TRES CENTAVOS.
SoHo Playhouse's 2026 International Fringe Encore Series Begins January 3
by Gillian Blum - Jan 3, 2026

SoHo Playhouse's 2026 International Fringe Encore Series begins on January 3 and runs through March 29, and provides opportunities to emerging artists who show exceptional talent at each season's Fringe Festivals both artistically and commercially.
Top Off-Broadway Shows for January 2026
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 1, 2026

What's happening off-Broadway? BroadwayWorld is here to guide you through the top picks for theatre this month. Start the new year off right with shows featuring big stars, like An Ark with Ian McKellen and more.
Review: Crisp, Bracing 'OCTET' at Wilbury Theatre Group
by John McDaid - Dec 9, 2025

CRISP, BRACING 'OCTET' AT THE WILBURY at Wilbury Theatre Group?Crisp, Bracing 'OCTET' at Wilbury Theatre Group: Quirky a cappella musical takes on our digital obsessions
Center Theatre Group Creates New Works Development Pipeline
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 8, 2025

Center Theatre Group has in place a new developmental pipeline for plays and musicals, created by Snehal Desai, CTG’s Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director.
Mary Testa To Join George Abud's 3PENNY OPERA Starring Katrina Lenk and More
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 3, 2025

Off-Brand Opera has revealed the complete casting for George Abud's new adaptation of Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, with the score adaptation by Jake Landau.
Review: Adrienne Haan Jaunts Through History in TEHORAH at The Actor's Temple
by Lydia Rose - Nov 29, 2025

In TEHORAH (Hebrew for “pure”), Adrienne Haan commemorates the end of the Holocaust with a show spanning four continents of Jewish music, language and culture.
SoHo Playhouse Unveils Lineup for 2026 International Fringe Encore Series Off-Broadway
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 24, 2025

SoHo Playhouse has revealed the lineup for the 2026 International Fringe Encore Series, running Off-Broadway. Shows include the U.S. premiere of Diana, direct from the Edinburgh Fringe, plus more.
How Common Are Foreign Language Plays on Broadway? A Look at Translation Trends
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Nov 23, 2025

While the large majority of plays that make it to Broadway were written in English, a small fraction of plays were originally penned in a different language and translated. 
Interview: Wesley Whitson of ANGELS IN AMERICA at Rec Room Arts
by Brett Cullum - Nov 19, 2025

It's one of those dream shows, you know? From the second that I first encountered it, I saw myself in it, and it became an aspiration to be in that show, to tell that story. It's always had this pull to it.
Review: ANGELS IN AMERICA PART ONE: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES at REC ROOM ARTS
by Brett Cullum - Nov 11, 2025

Rec Room Arts has delivered at least the first half of a miracle. This is something that feels less like a revival and more like a call to arms, and Kushner’s words echo louder and more forcefully than ever. 
Solo en el CETC: Lucas Urdampilleta Comes to Teatro Colon
by Stephi Wild - Nov 10, 2025

Primera edición de este ciclo que propone que artistas destacados de distintas disciplinas presenten una performance en solitario.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has Bertolt Brecht written?

Bertolt Brecht has written 36 shows including Die Sieben Todsünden (Lyricist), Mother (Playwright), Galileo (Playwright), The Good Woman of Setzuan (Playwright), Brecht on Brecht (Lyricist), Man is Man (Playwright), A Man's a Man (Bookwriter), Mother Courage and Her Children (Playwright), Brecht on Brecht (Source Material), Baal (Playwright), The Exception and the Rule/ The Prodigal Son (Playwright), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Playwright), Drums in the Night (Playwright), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Playwright), The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Libretto), The Rise and Fall of The City of Mahagonny (Bookwriter), The Good Woman of Setzuan (Playwright), Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill (Lyricist), The Measures Taken (Playwright), Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer (Playwright), Happy End (Bookwriter/Lyricist), A Kurt Weill Cabaret (Lyricist), Mother Courage and Her Children (Playwright), The Antigone of Sophokles (Playwright), An Evening with Ekkehard Schall (Material), The Threepenny Opera (Bookwriter/Lyricist), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Playwright), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Playwright), In the Jungle of Cities (Playwright), Here Lies Jenny (Lyricist), Here Lies Jenny (Lyricist), Mother Courage (Playwright), LoveMusik (Lyricist), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Playwright), Good Person of Szechwan (Playwright), A Man's a Man (Playwright).

What awards has Bertolt Brecht been nominated for?

Bertolt Brecht has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. Some of his notable nominations include Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre at the Tony Awards for "Happy End," Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards for "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny," Best Play at the Tony Awards for "Mother Courage and Her Children," and Best Play at the Evening Standard Awards for "The Caucasian Chalk Circle."

What awards has Bertolt Brecht won?

Bertolt Brecht has won several awards throughout his career. Some notable awards include Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards for "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" and Best Play at the Evening Standard Awards for "The Caucasian Chalk Circle". These accolades recognize Brecht's exceptional talent and contribution to the world of theater.

Get Bertolt Brecht Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Videos