DIRECTOR'S NOTE:
Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children remains a towering work of 20th-century theatre, a biting commentary on war, capitalism, and human survival. Written in the shadow of World War II but set during the Thirty Years’ War, the play unflinchingly examines the cost of conflict—not only in terms of lives lost but also the slow erosion of morality, family bonds, and personal integrity in the pursuit of survival.
Tony Kushner’s adaptation brings a fresh resonance to Brecht’s work. Known for his searing social and political insights, Kushner sharpens the modern parallels and gives new life to Brecht’s already pointed critique of war and profit. His language bridges the historical with the contemporary, capturing the cyclical nature of violence and its profound effects on human existence.
In this production, we’ve sought to honor Brecht’s original vision of epic theatre, where the audience is invited not just to watch but to think, critique, and question. Through the use of simple, symbolic staging, direct address, and by stripping away the music during the songs, we are leaning into the Brechtian ideal of refusing to allow the audience to slip into passive consumption, we aim to highlight the mechanisms of war, the futility of seeking profit from destruction, and the complex, flawed humanity of our characters — especially that of Mother Courage herself, who embodies both resilience and tragic blindness to her own complicity.
Our world today is not free from the forces Brecht and Kushner critique. As conflicts persist globally, and as we continue to grapple with the human costs of economic systems that prioritize profit over life, Mother Courage and Her Children feels as relevant as ever. This production is a call to reflect on the choices we make as individuals and societies in the face of destruction, and to consider the true cost of survival.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through Brecht and Kushner’s remarkable vision.
— Laura T. Garza
Director, Mother Courage
