Because Bertolt Brecht developed the concept of “epic theater,” his plays generally fall within that genre. “Epic theater” may be referred to as “Brechtian theater.” Beginning in the 1920s, this German playwright wrote plays and criticism that expressed his radical views on theater, both as literature—the text—and as performance and production. One of his favorite techniques is the dissolution of the so-called fourth wall of traditional, proscenium theater. Brecht’s plays often have minimal or unconventional staging, rather than taking place in an imitation room on the stage; in performance, the actors often go right out into the audience and sometimes converse or physically interact with audience members.

Direct engagement with the play’s themes, as opposed to an intellectual understanding of what is conveyed, was important to Brecht’s concept. He wanted people to be on edge, to always be aware that they were in a theatrical setting. He called this concept “Verfremdungseffekt” (or simply V-effekt), the “estrangement” or “defamiliarization” effect. Other theatrical effects that contributed to making things unfamiliar included strident lighting, frequent use of songs, and having placards with text held by actors or set onstage; the latter two are featured in Mother Courage.

As a communist, Brecht and his views were unwelcome in Nazi Germany, and he was forced into exile in 1933. Although not shy about direct criticism, Brecht also used historicization in V-effekt. As the past was contrasted with the present, it would highlight the significant aspects of modern life that he was criticizing, he believed. This is clearly shown in Mother Courage, which was written in 1939 and is set more than 300 years earlier, during the Thirty Years War of 1618 to 1648. Not only was he comparing two war-time eras, he encouraged his audiences to wonder about the likely regression of civilization to an era of inhumanity that most people thought had been left behind.

The goal of Brecht and others who wrote plays considered "epic theater" was detachment.  He wanted audiences to know they were watching a play; he did not want the audience to become fooled into thinking that they were part of the action.  This style and technique of playwriting was common after WWI, when playwrights wanted to show the cost of middle and lower class human life and quality of life lost.  These plays are written with short, self-contained scenes that depict one incident with no scenery changes.  The actors would practice being "distant" with their characters, they would be the character but then break out of character to perhaps explain the action or foretell the next scene.  Enotes has excellent notes on this play.