War, what is it good for? For its season finale, the West Virginia University School of Theatre and Dance will present the classic anti-war epic “Mother Courage and Her Children” by Bertolt Brecht at the Creative Arts Center, April 17-26.
In this adaptation by Erik Ehn, Mother Courage is a canteen woman, pulling her cart along with her three children, trading with the soldiers and attempting to make a profit from the Thirty Years’ War. Her relationship with war comes into question as she is forced to pay a high price for living off the suffering of others.
Directed by professor Jim Knipple, who is artist in residence in the School of Theatre and Dance, “Mother Courage and Her Children” utilizes technology to ignite the audience’s imagination in the construction of the avant-garde world of the story.
“Get ready, because this production is unique,” Knipple said. “Most playwrights value the narrative above all other aspects of performance, but Brecht didn’t. He wanted you to know that you’re watching a play, and he didn’t want you to get wrapped up emotionally in the story. We’ve taken Brecht’s ideas and pushed them through 70 years of innovation to arrive at what we think is an incredibly exciting take on his play.”
Erik Ehn is currently the head of playwriting and a professor of theater and performance studies at Brown University. He is the founder of the annual conference “Arts in the One World,” which seeks to bring together a community of theater artists, scholars, theorists, and human rights activists to investigate theater on the subject of genocide and reconciliation. His other works include “13 Christs,” “The Saint Plays” and “Beginner.”
Scenic design for “Mother Courage and Her Children” is by MFA Design/Tech student Jake Bigelow, and lighting design is by MFA Design/Tech program student Joshua Taylor. Costume design is by MFA Design/Tech student Cecelia Hill.
“Mother Courage and Her Children” features BFA Acting students Willa McWhorter and Lauren Waldron, as well as MFA Acting students Kyle Walter and Landon Green, along with many other talented WVU students, including non-majors.
“Mother Courage and Her Children” will be presented in the CAC’s Gladys G. Davis Theatre April 17-18 at 7:30 p.m. and April 19 at 2 p.m. It continues April 21-25 at 7:30 p.m., with a closing matinee on April 26 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for senior citizens and students. There is a group rate of $10 per ticket for groups of ten or more.
Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com, the CAC or Mountainlair Box Offices, or by calling 304-293-SHOW.
For more information on this production of “Mother Courage and Her Children” please visit http://theatre.wvu.edu, call 304-293-2020, or email theatre@mail.wvu.edu.
-WVU-
cl/04/10/15
CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304.293.4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu
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