A contemporary take on Bertolt Brecht’s anti-war play

Courage: A contemporary take on Bertolt Brecht’s anti-war play

“War’s a deal, it cuts both ways, whoever takes must also pay.”

Meet the Mothers Courage – business people thriving off war, scavenging and selling goods to all the troops. Follow their journey across 23 years through Romania, Chechnya, Georgia, Iraq and Ukraine.

“When I was asked to do Mother Courage, I thought ‘Wow how does that work with a group of young people, none of whom are anywhere near that age?’” says director Annie Ruth. She then looked at current wars around the world and opened another possibility inside the play by having three Courage sisters in her adaptation. “There’s kind of a dynamic between them rather than having all those qualities in one person, especially again because they’re younger actors – it’s a lot to ask a twenty-year-old to have all that complexity of a person in her fifties,” adds Annie.

“Most of us, including myself, can't comprehend what it is to live through or even be close to war,” admits set designer Aisha Cumming. “It then becomes the job of the production not to show our interpretation of war, but to use our naivety and the form of theatre to connect to the audience through moments of humanity and humour.”

The production is an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children. Working on this production are Toi Whakaari 2nd year actors, 3rd year designers, 1st and 2nd year costumiers and technical & management students at all levels of their training.

ADVISORY: This play contains adult themes and language, loud noise, and may not be suitable for younger patrons.
Fully-realised production.

Annie Ruth is an actor, director, teacher and former Director of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. Annie graduated from Toi Whakaari with a Diploma in Professional Drama (Acting) in 1972. In 2013 she completed her research on how tikanga Māori can be integrated into actor training and theatre production, and she received her PhD degree in Theatre from Victoria University of Wellington. Annie has taught in top schools and international masterclasses in Europe and the USA. Her solo show Dissident Voices, was performed at Bats Theatre, Wellington and in Italy and the USA. In 2011 Annie was named as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Drama.

WHAT
Courage based on Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, adapted and directed by Annie Ruth.

WHERE
Te Whaea: National Dance & Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown, Wellington.

WHEN
Thursday 22 October – Saturday 31 October (no show on Monday 26 October) at 7pm

Public matinee will be on Saturday 24 October at 2.30pm
Taught matinee for schools on Wednesday 28 October and Thursday 29 October at 12.30pm.

PRICE
$25 Full
$15 Concessions
$10 Toi Whakaari graduate and Toi Whakaari or NZ School of Dance student (in advance)
$5 School group student rate.

TO BOOK
www.toiwhakaari.ac.nz or phone (04) 381 9250

Mobility car parking is available on-site. The toilets and theatre are wheelchair accessible.

ENDS

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