Theater in Sketch: MOTHER COURAGE

Quintessence Theatre presents Bertold Brecht’s MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN.  Read the Phindie review. [The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Avenue] October 12-November 6, 2016; quintessencetheatre.org.

mothercourage-14What was interesting about this production was the closeness I felt with the characters. You can seen how I zoomed in on the characters much more than usual. There were very little moments where action could happen on my end, except for a few dance numbers.

mothercourage-10This may be an anti-war message or marxist adaptation, but it is certainly a satire on sex,

mothercourage-11on alcohol,

mothercourage-7and on death.

mothercourage-1Forest McClendon is a maniac towards the end.

mothercourage-12It is equal in laughs with Daniel Miller from the opening scenes.

mothercourage-5Finally Janis Dardaris kills it when she comes out in a modern woman’s attire dressed for business and soldiers sound off, “SELL, SELL, SELL.”

mothercourage-16

We remembered Dardaris from her role in Morning of Electra a couple years ago, and thought she did a great job in playing the different levels of feminism, and that is at first cold,

mothercourage-4then motherly,

mothercourage-3then sexy,

mothercourage-8-9spreadthen strong.

mothercourage-6

Above, the Chaplain, Gregory Isaac, lays into Mother Courage. In a asexual manner, but she keeps drinking bourbon and being crass. As he chops wood his character is a foil throughout, and even when Swiss Cheese dies the Chaplain blames Mother Courage for benefiting from the war.’

mothercouage

The last scene is a dramatic death. The pounding on the drum, the two kneeling figures praying, more chopping of wood, and a gun shot kills Kattrin, Leigha Kato, and the worried faces of the peasants were seriously distraught! The acting was delivered well and these were secondary characters. Read the Phindie review.

[The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Avenue] October 12-November 6, 2016quintessencetheatre.org.

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