Displaying items by tag: Bertolt Brecht

“Mother Courage and her Children,” written in 1939 by German playwright Bertolt Brecht has been a challenging play for me, and having seen it prior to this Trap Door Theatre production, I wondered why, along with “Threepenny Opera” (1928), it is so popular among theater companies and actors.

But I figured if anyone could make this thing work, it would be Trap Door, and I am delighted to report that they have, in the production which opened this week at their magical space on Cortland Avenue. Directed by Max Truax in a translation by Eric Bentley, “Mother Courage” is accessible, intelligible, entertaining and compelling.

Holly Cerny gives a tour de force performance as Mother Courage, on stage continuously and called to sing, dance, and haul a canteen wagon. Her character is based on a real-life operator of a canteen supplying soldiers in the 30 years war in Europe in the 17th century. More than 4.5 million soldiers died in the prolonged religious conflict, but for Mother Courage and her young adult children, the war means their livelihood. Her two sons, Swiss Cheese (Rashaad A. Bond) and Eilef (Bill Gordon) are conscripted, further entrenching Mother Courage in the battles.

Eventually as peace dawns, Mother Courage is distressed that her means of income will be ended. She has lost a son who was court-martialed for stealing army funds at her behest. Another dies after killing a leader whose death reignites the war. In other words, she is a contemptible character - but the audience bears witness to this chicanery without empathy for Mother Courage or her brood, an approach in this style of Epic absurdist plays that Brecht intended.

Instead, Brecht is asking the audience to hear a statement about war, and the economics that underpin the interests of participants. All this, with song and dance - more macabre than delightful; and sung with the wry humor of cabaret. All the cast is notably good in adopting the non-naturalistic style Brecht intended: Kevin Webb is the cook; Joan Nahid as Mother Courage’s mute daughter Katrin; Caleb Jenkins as the Chaplain; Nena Martins as Yvette; and Tricia Rogers as a Soldier/Officer. We connect with these characters as totems for the forces of war they represent.

Set design by J. Michael Griggs, lighting by Richard Norwood, sound design by Dan Poppen, props by David Lovejoy and music by Jonathan Guillen combine to give an expressive force to the production. Periodically, supra titles let us know where we are in Mother Courage’s adventure - a really good touch, though they were sometimes obscured by the actors on stage. Perhaps they could be placed higher on the backdrop.
Trap Door Theatre, squeezed behind a Mabel’s Table restaurant at 1655 W. Cortland in Chicago (near Ashland Avenue), has over its 30 years taken on the most venturesome and challenging absurdist plays, and that makes it a true treasure. “Mother Courage and her Children” runs through February 24 at Trap Door Theatre. 

*Extended through March 9th

At The Ready, a small theatre on Chicago’s Northside is currently hosting the classic parable play “Round Heads and Pointed Heads”. Penned by Bertolt Brecht in 1936, its current Chicago run is being brought to you by Red Tape Theatre - a fine theatre company I would urge one to become familiar with. The play is a sardonic anti-Nazi tale that takes place in in the made-up land of Yahoo where its leaders explore maintaining and strengthening their control by pitting “round heads” against “pointed heads” which replaces racial relations for their aggressive class relations.

Composed of 11 scenes in prose and poetry and 13 songs, the story unfolds in two acts that include an intermission. I found the play a bit long-winded but very well done. Multiple plot lines intertwine throughout and is sometimes quite a bit to digest in one sitting, but its overall message is quite poignant. Having said that, the play is very entertaining.

Several actors in this extremely well-acted production successfully take on more than one role, showcasing a wide variety of talent. Despite the fact that “Round Heads’ is not really a musical per se, there were a good handful of interesting songs that helped tell the story in a unique way.

Social issues like racism, revolution and prostitution made up some of the plot lines. Like I said, it was a lot to digest. As much as I enjoyed the play, the fact so many serious topics are brought to the table and are condensed into a couple hours, can overwhelm one’s attention span at times. However, the story ties together nicely.

Directed by Max Truax, the cast features Maryam Abdi, Ambrose Cappucio, Ben Chang, Casey Chapman, Nora King, Peter Laughlin, Diana Lee, Felix Mayes, Emily Nichelson, Brandon Rivera, Caleb Roitz, Kelsey Shipley, Stephanie Shum, and Ann Sonneville.

What I really like about productions like this set in intimate settings, is that the audience feels they become part of the scenes taking place. I guess having a powerful play so rich and meaningful presented up close and personal is not much of a surprise with a group like Red Tape Theatre. I felt some on the audience consisted of fellow thespians who were there to support the theatre community. Works for me. I like that idea.

Small theatre in Chicago has a lot to offer. There is much to see, and the price of admission is generally reasonable…in this case, free but they do appreciate donations. This production is well worth your time to see, and I look forward to checking out more Red Tape productions. These actors are not doing this to be rich, although it may be a stepping stone to greater things. So, go give them the lift they need…it all comes back to you.

Red Tape's “Round Heads and Pointed Heads” is being performed at At the Ready (4546 N Western Ave, Chicago) through April 21st. https://redtapetheatre.org/