06/07 main 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.