Verfremdungseffekt (V-effekt), usually translated as alienation effect (a-effect), is a concept developed by the German poet, playwright, and dramaturg Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956). His V-effekt is a term of the arts, not of philosophy or sociology. Brecht’s Verfremdung distinguishes itself from Hegelian and Marxist notions of alienation (Entfremdung) by being relentlessly focused on the theatre and its political and aesthetic impact on roles, actors, and audiences.