06/07 season
by bertolt brecht
translated by david hare
music by gina leishman
directed by lisa peterson
in association with la jolla playhouse
the roda theatre
september 8–october 22
running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes,
including one 15 minute intermission
the show
A religious war ravages the civilized world, killing soldiers and civilians alike. Plodding along in its wake is an itinerant peddler, shadowing the destruction and selling supplies to whichever side will grease her palm. Bertolt Brecht penned his anti-war epic as the Nazi war machine rolled through Poland, and in David Hare’s vigorous translation, its prescient lessons and surprising humor remain relevant today.
the artists
When renowned playwright Bertolt Brecht wrote Mother Courage, Germany revoked his citizenship and banned his plays.
Director Lisa Peterson won an Obie Award at the famed New York Theatre Workshop. She says, “Working at Berkeley Rep is like playing with the smart kids…There is a unique alchemy of audience, artists and staff.”
The show features a spectacular new score by Gina Leishman, who creates music for theatre, opera, film and the Mr. Wau-Wa band, a quintet dedicated to Brecht’s songs.
Broadway star Ivonne Coll has been tapped to play Mother Courage. The former Miss Puerto Rico’s stage and screen credits include the Tony-nominated Chronicle of a Death Foretold, The Godfather II, Nip/Tuck and Six Feet Under.
the buzz
“UNFORGETTABLE! Brilliant acting, incisive prose, trenchant music and densely layered presentation in service of the greatest anti-war drama of the 20th century…A lively entertainment filled with memorable characters…The play tells the story but, just as Brecht intended, the songs make its import unforgettable.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“The show has a dazzling look [and] a stunning and effective new score by Gina Leishman…The play is filled with delightful musical numbers”—Contra Costa Times
“It isn’t just a great play. Right now, it may be the great play”—San Jose Mercury News
“Timely, relevant and keenly observed”—Oakland Tribune
“A resounding smash hit!”—KGO 810AM Radio
“The awful power and prescience of Mother Courage is that at no time since its first performance in 1941 has it been irrelevant: There are always conflicts, always victims, always someone simply trying to survive.”—Variety
“Brecht’s greatest script”—San Francisco Magazine
press photos
production sponsors
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